Got a surprise today

I went to a local lake today to walk the dog and take pictures came accross the GBH and took some shots didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until I got home and started going through the shots.

This is full frame and everything looks ok ( not a bad Photo IMHO )

I like the shot. The hook, ouch... Hopefully he/she will be OK.

Thank you. I am going to go back over the weekend and try to check up on Him.

sad Mike but thanks for your concern. I shoot off of several fishing piers. Even though signs are posted for fishermen to pick up after themselves I still keep an eye out for an abandoned line with a minnow impaled on the end end begging some poor gull or great blue to grab it. I snag it before they do. My one encounter with a ringbilled gull with one led to running home for gloves and pliers to save his butt. Easy fix is to remove the junk when seen. Nice shots all considered.
Sam

Aww, I hope that it will work its way out somehow without causing him more pain and suffering

Thank you both I am hoping for the best as well.

Nice shot Mike. If the hook makes it to his stomach, it will get dissolved and the line should pass through. Hard to tell though, the line doesn't look like it goes into his mouth, almost like it's caught in his cheek somehow.

These birds can take some damage and still make it. We have one at our wetlands that had it's neck, right under it's bill, ripped open either from a fight or some other act. When I took pictures of it I could see it's tounge sticking through the rip in the neck. It looked bad, but they say the same thing here. If the bird can fly and is still eating them there is not a lot they can do for the bird. Great shot by the way Mike.

I caught a nature program a few years ago about a Great Blue that had a damaged beak and the tongue sticking through the hole. They were able to catch it and patched the hole with fiberglass.

I've heard they can do that with turtles and tortises that have been struck by cars. They mold the damaged shell with fiberglass and they save them if they have not been to badly damaged by the vehicles.

nice shots.

Good shot Mike & I hope he's OK

Good shots and very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Henry

Thank you all for your comments it good to hear that they are a tuff bird I do hope it passes and I get a lot more pictures of him over the years to come.

Nice image with the bird against the dry reeds..pops nicely. Hopefuly the bird learns to live with this and the line doesnt get caught on anything...fishing line can be a problem so hopefully its not too long...