Heron with huge pike

[Ollie]

Hi all.

Caught this heron with a large pike on my local patch today.

The heron caught the Pike just out of sight of the hide I was in. First I knew was when it flew towards the hide with the fish in it's beak. A pretty vigorous struggle began as the Heron tried to manoeuvre the fish into the correct position for it to swallow it.

After around four attempts and dropping it several times it did eventually mange to swallow it.

Please click the photos twice for best detail. The light was poor so the pictures are a little flat but still worth seeing.

[Dogghound]

Nice shots, the predator eats the predator. The 3rd shot down looks very painful for the pike, if it was still alive.

[nightshade]

Nice shots! I have often seen them with big eels but never a pike, well done.

[RobS]

Don't tell him your name Pike!

Nice shots indeed - what a greedy git!

[shenk1]

Wow! And you said my eel was big

shenk1

[welshgold]

Fantastic shots! Love the one taken coming towards us, that Heron won't have to eat for a week!

For my info, could you tell us what camera and lens and settings were used, cheers

[Ollie]

Thanks everyone.

welshgold, the camera was a Canon 7D, lens was a Canon 500mm f4 IS USM lens with a Canon 1.4 converter. Settings were ISO 400, f5.6, 1/1250, Centre weighted average metering. Camera on a bean bag in a hide

[Jonners]

Super series Roger. It's becoming something of a habit I reckon, for you as well as the heron.

[Ollie]

Thanks Jonners. I do think it's the same bird that I caught with the smaller pike last week

[Jonners]

The first one in particular is such a dramatic shot... I wouldn't mind getting a "flat" shot like that