Predators
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Okavango Delta, Botswana, November 2018
Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.
All rights reserved. © Thomas Retterath 2018
The Northern Pike, a ferocious predatory fish, became the prey.
The low water level in the Sturgeon River means that it is easy to spot the Great Blue Herons out and about catching fish in the shallow water.
Bright and early one morning in July, I met up with my birding friend, Ivan D. and we were privileged to be able to observe and photograph this heron fishing for breakfast at fairly close range. This heron's fishing skills were amazingly impressive. Within a span of one hour, it caught three pikes. Each time, it promptly swallowed the unfortunate fish head first - all in one go.
Nikon D500 w/ 500mmf4G + 1.4X
(Taken on: July 31, 2021, Sturgeon River, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada.)
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grey heron
Graureiher oder Fischreiher
[Ardea cinerea]
This heron caught a goby.
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a martial eagle (polemaetus bellicosus) leaving the perch.
in africa there are three species of "big" eagles and they occupy three different ecosystems.
the black eagle live in the mountains ad rocky areas.
the crowned eagle live in the forests.
the martial eagle prefer open woodlands ,savannas and arid areas.
this is a male,not so big and less spotted than the female.
females can arrive till 4.5/4.8 kgs with 240cm wingspan.
it is a very agile raptor able to catch big birds but enough strong to kill young/small antelopes,primates
and small predators till the jackal size.
kruger national park,SA
"the jump"
original file here:
Sparrowhawk [Accipiter nisus] f.
This little beauty appeared at The Pixies just after I had re-filled all the bird feeders...All the usual little songbirds, blue-, great-, and coaltits, nuthatches and chaffinches, were having a feast when, suddenly, they all disappeared into the trees.
I was thrilled to have caught this image but the implications of her presence here are really quite chilling...Of course, she has to eat, too, but the wee birdies have absolutely no chance against these lethal talons and beak.
She left this perch very soon after arriving and the wee birdies soon resumed their eating and seed- and nut-gathering.
The Circle Of Life? Ambivalence and cognitive dissonance...
(I know it’s not a great shot - she was very high up in this tree )
At The Pixies
South Carrick Hills
SW Scotland
(edited)
Labyrinth Spider (Agelena labyrinthica) & Sweat Bee (Andrena Sp.) | 05-2022 | Ticino | Switzerland
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
A version in color of this photo (and of one where the spider attacks and is in focus) you can find here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/other-fauna?pgid=krc12ip9-c9a0a...
THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO:
I was trying to get a good shot of a labyrinth spider in my garden, when suddenly this little sweat bee got caught in the web. As the bee frantically tried to escape the sticky trap, the spider attacked. I thought the little bee was all done for, but to my surprise, it used its sting to great effect.
The spider attacked again and again, but it had huge respect of the little fella's sting, and it just couldn't get the right angle to overwhelm the bee and tie it up. Eventually, the spider retreated, and the little guy made it out alive and unharmed.
Now for those of you who feel sorry for the spider that lost a juicy meal, don't worry: that web of hers was incredibly efficient, and she feasted like a queen every day during the time I was there (which is probably partly the reason why she gave up relatively easily on the little bee).
In case you're interested, you can find the color version of this photo and of one where the spider attacks and is in focus through the link above, but the reason I prefer the one in b/w (intentionally "over-sharpened" to create a "grainy", "grungy" look ;-) and with the focus on the little bee is that it reminds me of the posters for horror/sci-fi B-movies of the 50s like 'Tarantula' or 'Them' - and I adore those 😉
As always, many greetings from Switzerland; try to stay out of the heat and let me know what you think in the comments 😊
Backdrop: The Bearded Guy - Bones Hall Backdrop
LM (The Bearded Guy): maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moonwall/169/121/32
means it has a larger influence on its environment than its abundance. It plays key role in maintaining the population of other animals in an ecological community.
texture by ipiccy.com
RKO_1754. Another elusive and beautiful hunter! She focused on some antilope in the far distance.
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A harvestman with a parasitic mite attached.
This is one of those moments in which I saw the harvestman and a red dot, but I had no idea what I was seeing until I took the shot(s). Gotta love macro lenses!
The fish are returned to the water after capture which is very common. It is only for the pleasure of working the fish
I have luckily managed to capture an incredible fish-hunt and fight this river otter has performed, in the calm waters of Alouette river. This was the first time for me to have witnessed such an amazing spectacle and I truly hope it won't be the last.
Otters are masterful fish predators, while in the water. On land, they can become prey for larger mammals.
Despite the apparent fearful expression in my photo, I think most of us love otters. They are cute and make funny poses and grimaces.