Hi Everyone,
This is an American Bittern eating a Banded Watersnake. As soon as he had swallowed the snake he took a few sips of water and went straight back to hunting mode, catching a small fish. This caught me by surprise & I didn't get the shot because I thought he had enough food to last a week. Lesson learned.

One of the photographs near the end shows the snake biting the American Bittern on the face. Another photograph which we have not shown reveals a small wound on the bird's face. Banded Watersnakes are not venomous & we filmed another 3 of them in this area soaking up the sun.

American Bittern eating Snake
American Bittern Eating Snake - YouTube

Kind regards,
Doug.
BaileyNatureGallery (http://www.BaileyNatureGallery.com)

Hi Doug,
Wow that was pretty special to see. You must have been excited about catching that. And to think that it then went on eating!! Veracious appetite!!

Hi Bryce,
Yes, very exciting indeed! Many thanks for watching and your comments. Normally if you are lucky enough to see an American Bittern they are standing dead still, head pointing to the sky and looking like a log, perfectly disguised. We were very privileged, it's great to be able to share the experience.

Kind regards,
Doug.
BaileyNatureGallery (http://www.BaileyNatureGallery.com)

Great shooting Doug!

Hi Roger,
Thanks for your kind comment. As you know with nature it really is a matter of luck, just being there when the action is there. Another photog shot a pair of Bobcats lazing on the side of the marsh, a mother & kitten. We didn't see them, so we'll have to go back...sigh!

We did get some nice footage of a fat old Gator sunning himself near Lake O. on Wednesday. He seemed to be fast asleep, but looking at him on screen he was keeping a sleepy but beady eye on us. The water is not as cold as it normally is at this time of year, so we're seeing a lot less gators out of the water.
Kind regards,
Doug.
http://www.BaileyNatureGallery.com