Hunting heron

My reward for going on a wet blip expo this morning was the chance to watch this hunting heron for a long time.  S/he didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by the camera and allowed me to get very close - closer than I've ever been to a wild heron.  To begin with I was unsure why s/he was hunting in the bank instead of over the path in the canal.  Then I realised - that flash of red blood on the beak belongs to a poor ex-frog, which I saw being caught and swallowed, though unfortunately when the heron's head was turned away from the camera.

Still, I can't complain, it was an absorbing 15 minutes, and if I and the camera got rather wet, we're home and dry now!

Hope Sunday's being kind to you, I'll catch up with you later  xx