A Great Blue Heron

I worked to midnight on Wednesday night so I didn't get up early Thursday morning - took my time getting ready and decided to see if going at a different time of day would bring me any luck up to Market Lake.  

It was just before noon when I got there - looking down the canal it looked pretty quiet but I spotted the Osprey as he looked over the water - waiting for a fish.

Stopped at the pond by the trees and got a few shots of the juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron as he waited for something to snatch out of the water.

I walked the trees but didn't take a single shot.  Headed back south and stopped whenever I saw a Painted Turtle on the other side.

The Swan family was way out in the marsh as I went north so I was surprised to see them Right Next To The Road as I come back south.  And I do mean Right Next To The Road!!  I just happened to get there in time to catch a shot of one of the parents before they disappeared behind the cat-tails again.

As I head back south I always make the turn - it's "Marsh #1" and takes you over to this display they have and a "cemetery" for the people that used to live there.  I turn around there and head back down along the canal and look who's standing in the road!!

I wait and watch to see what he's going to do and he finally heads down into the canal.  

I have no hopes of getting close to him - I mean we are Really Close to the water right there!!

But he doesn't fly off!!  Big red car, my brakes are noisy - and he stays right there!!  I spent 30 minutes just inching along as he waded thru the water.

Lucky for me there were spots where I could get a somewhat clean shot of him!

He caught what looked like a fish.

And then he moved quickly to the other side of the water and made a quick stab and look what he comes up with!!

A Snake!!

He had a heck of a time - you can kind of see it in this next shot - he's actually "speared" the snake with his beak!

He did finally manage to get the snake off but - see those gold spots in all these photos?  He was behind those so I didn't get a shot of just "how" that happened but he did raise back up and I got some shots as the snake finally makes it into his mouth.

He moved back over to "my" side of the canal.

And then he finally - after 30 minutes of following along - seems to notice me and flies down the canal and finds a new spot to fish.  I leave him to his business.

That was fun!!