Big one that got away, little one that didn't

(c) 2011 Lydia Hinshaw

Lucky anhinga with unlucky fish

And vice versa:  This fish managed to escape

DE LEON SPRINGS, FL -- We visited Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge for the second time in six days, mainly because Brian's Barbecue in nearby DeLand had e-mailed us a two-for-one coupon which was about to expire.

So we figured we'd put in a short field trip with the cameras Saturday and then head off for a nice lunch.

Before we were out of sight of the car, we spotted an anhinga with a large fish.  The fish was bleeding, but still fighting for its life.  Ultimately, it escaped, flopping back into the water, though it may not survive long with that stab wound.

No sooner had little drama concluded than I noticed another unfolding nearby.  A second anhinga had caught a smaller fish, which it manipulated expertly and swallowed with a couple of strenuous gulps.

To see more photos, click on the "See more pictures here!" link.

On our visit here Monday, we'd spotted at least four otters, but we didn't see a single one Saturday.  There were still too many buzzards though.

The barbecue was great, and our coupon saved us $12.