Predator and Prey
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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.)
Copyrighted. All rights reserved. No unauthorized use.
Thank you all very much for the visits and comments.
Golden ringed Dragonfly.
Cordulegaster boltonii
This is the UK’s largest dragonfly and you won’t be surprised to know that it is also a voracious predator and powerful flyer, eating damsel flies, bees, wasps and even other dragonflies. I managed to photograph it with the help of my wife, which is an amusing story in itself…..
My wife said to me “have you got the right lens on for a dragonfly” - “yes” says I and she led me to where it was, on a pot plant on the patio low to the ground. Despite it’s very large size, at least 8cm - well over 3 inches, those markings and me using my 20x magnifier on the back of the LCD monitor, I just could not find it, right under my nose, centimetres away and big enough to trip over but I couldn’t find it.. My wife - blessed with both brain and eye,
stood behind me as I knelt so she could see where exactly I was pointing the camera…….
“Left…..left….left…..right a bit… find the edge of the pot……up a bit ….now you should have it……”
And there it was. What a team!
And now it is here :^)
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 😊
I've struggled with the idea of posting this one
A beautiful bird but an unwelcome visitor to our garden
This was the aftermath we witnessed taking place a few days ago.
Sadly one of our little sparrows lost it's life before we witnessed this scene.
I understand we eat meat, so in theory I'm no different from this Sparrowhawk hunting it's prey
It's just so difficult to watch when for months on end the little sparrows who nested in our bushes, brought up what seemed like a multitude of offspring, fledged and continue to return to our feeders
We have grown so attached to their playful, funny characters
I'd certainly never make a wildlife photographer. Im in tears watching Frozen Planet 2
I'd want to try and save them all
Well, I also thought although not in flight I can capture images of birds (not the blurry variety)
Not crystal clear, taken through the kitchen window, which may have needed cleaning
It tells a story, if nothing else
We just hope he doesn't chose to do a return visit
A 3.175cm (1 .25") Praying Mantis eating a fly on a Gardenia jasminoides 'Kleim's Hardy' in my garden. These insects are notorious predators and their name is sometime mistakenly spelled ‘Preying Mantis’ which is incorrect.
bird:[Rezz Room] Box Eagle Adult Animesh @EQUAL10 maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/equal10/233/127/95
outfit:Art&Ko - Elizabeth Set @Enchantment
gloves:[ContraptioN] Dapper Dandy's Gloves
skin:.MILA. Stefy Skin @ TRES CHIC nov 17 - dec 10 maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tres%20Chic/153/162/74
blush add ons: Heaux
head:LeLUTKA Briannon Head 3.1 @Mainstore
hair:Magika - Hair - Let It Snow
You can imagine this as a large predator gobbling up the smaller ones.
Which apparently is what is happening here with the larger bubble slowly consuming the smaller ones.
The mechanics (physics) behind this is not very clear to me. But I think that there is some conservation principal at play.
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!
Vulpes Vulpes - Red Fox
P1000142-1
ISO 200 1/160th @ f/5.6 Focal length 186.42mm (equivalent to
1041mm in 35mm format)
The fish are returned to the water after capture which is very common. It is only for the pleasure of working the fish
Created for TMI's January contest: "Marine Biology"
Three source photos all public domain via Pixabay.