GBH downs a whole pike

I thought for sure this bird was going to need the Heimlich Maneuver, but he flew away just fine a couple minutes later. I'm guessing the pike is at least 15" long and weighs around 1 pound. A full-grown GBH should be around 6-7lbs, meaning that this meal is probably 15% of his body weight or more. Quite a hearty breakfast.

These were taken with a 100-400L that I rented for a week and this set convinced me to buy one of my own. Also got a CP filter, which I understand would reduce the glare seen especially in the first 4 shots below. Now that I have the right gear, I just need to make a point of being in the right place at the right time as often as possible. : )

1.

Wow, that must have been an amazing sight to see and photograph! Well done.

Forget about rez and tech, you got one excellent series of hunting action.
That Pike fish with sharp sharp teeth and an avid hunter himself is really fallen short in the beak of this Pro.
Very well done.
How close you were to action and how do you convince the guy not to fly away? I can't get any closer that 150 200 yard of these guys before they run away.

SJC from VT wrote in post #15823837
Wow, that must have been an amazing sight to see and photograph! Well done.

Thanks! I thought he was just going to fly off, so I was pretty psyched to see the whole thing play out like that.

samsen wrote in post #15823844
Forget about rez and tech, you got one excellent series of hunting action.
That Pike fish with sharp sharp teeth and an avid hunter himself is really fallen short in the beak of this Pro.
Very well done.
How close you were to action and how do you convince the guy not to fly away? I can't get any closer that 150 200 yard of these guys before they run away.

Thanks!!

I was watching a pair of mute swans when I first saw him out of the corner of my eye. He was walking right toward me maybe 30yds away so I thought for sure I'd spook him and he'd fly off, so I was zoomed out at like 250mm hoping to catch a BIF shot. But he kept coming straight toward me, moving his head back and forth, in hindsight clearly in the hunt. When he speared the fish he was only like 25yrds away. Then I watched him over a minute or so carry it over to a mat of reeds where he put it down, got a better grip, and downed it. It was amazing, that fish never flopped or twitched a hair. The bird speared it right behind the gill plate and I think the spine was snapped. Quite a sharp shooter!

Thanks for the detail. All I can say, you are very lucky. If planning to buy an interstate lottery ticket, I want to share with you!
But then very nice and with your fantastic gear (Including that 100-400 gem) wish to see more from you. I strongly advise you to think seriously in buying one. There is no lens better than L 100-400 for wildlife.
When I was living in Europe, pike was a good fish to catch but there is not even a single one in the lakes near were I live including very cold frozen mountain top lakes. Seems Cali wildlife personnels have something against Pikes. Remember a lake had to be eradicated by poising the entire fishes because some one had illegally induced pike into the lake in Northern California...

Sweet series of shots. Right place, right time.

I wouldn't that GBH flying over my car later, though.

Excellent shots amazing, those guys will eat anything. Congrats on a great job!

That's a great series of shots and quite the feat by the Heron. Congrats on being there and being prepared to get such excellent shots.

Right place at the right time!

Fantastic series!!

Now that's just being greedy. Great shots.

Very nice sequence cant belive he got that whole thing down

That is a good sized pike! What a series! Well done.
Al

That is a great series. gota like that

Great shots and I am pretty sure tha pike is much bigger then 15"!! Amazing to see!!!