It's about time, old friend

©2013 Lydia Hinshaw

Shaking it up a bit

A slippery meal

 HOLLY HILL, FL -- The past several winters, we've been able to depend upon a green heron to appear and pose for photos in a public park here.  Green herons aren't necessarily rare, but they are reclusive and well-camouflaged, so it's a special treat to see one.  It helps a lot to know exactly where to look.

 We've been home more than two months now, and we've visited the park at least weekly without a single sighting of our old friend, who tends to hang out on the same half-submerged palm trunk.

 Sunday morning he (or she) finally turned up.

 What's more, he gave us some excellent photo ops.  He shook himself, making his feathers stand on end.  A few minutes later, he darted into the water and came out with a fish.

 He didn't eat it right away, but instead seemed to be trying to kill it or at least subdue it so it wouldn't escape when he maneuvered it into swallowing position.

 After much shaking and squeezing, he turned the fish lengthwise.  It took several big gulps to get it all down.