Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Catch of the Day

Today, with fishing slow, I was more than pleased when I spotted a pied-billed grebe feeding along the shoreline.  This particular bird showed no fear of the boat and allowed me to approach to within twenty feet as it continued diving into the submerged vegetation.


Waterfowl has been mostly absent since the spring migration ended in late May.  Two weeks ago I spotted a pied-billed grebe in the middle of the lake but with the skies heavily clouded no opportunity for a good photo existed.  Today with a cloudless blue sky, the grebe along the shoreline and the sun not too high in the sky the situation was perfect.

After shooting a few shots upon my approach I decided to follow the grebe hoping for an exceptional shot.

And it happened!

The grebe emerged with a fish!

The grebe held the tiny bluegill for just a moment before expertly flipping it and swallowing the fish headfirst.

With that the grebe returned to fishing and so did I. 

We had each gotten "The Catch of the Day."

12 comments:

Ruth Hiebert said...

The blue of the sky of reflected in the water. These are truly the catch of the day.

Kerri Farley said...

Oh my, these are wonderful!

TexWisGirl said...

BEAUTIFUL!!! i love these little grebes. have been fortunate to have them winter on our pond the last 2 winters. hoping we get some rainfall to attract them to stay this year...

Matt M said...

Great photos, I like the two with the little fish in its mouth.

Brian King said...

Great "catch" shot! That's fantastic. Nicely done, Coy!

eileeninmd said...

WOW, fantastic shots of the Grebe. I love the shot with the fish, great capture.

Chris said...

Wow excellent Coy... You did get this really great shot with the fish, congrats.... Your patience was rewarded... I love these pictures a lot, the reflection is beautiful, the sharpness perfect!!! And I've never seen this bird... I'm terribly jealous ;-)

Montanagirl said...

Fabulous shots of the Grebe with his catch. LOVE them.

Brad Myers said...

What a great catch Coy (pun intended also). I just hope that if you caught any fish that they were larger than this.

Bob Shank said...

This is excellent wildlife photography, Coy! Absolutely fantastic! You both reeled in quite a catch! Keep up the excellent work!

Meggie said...

Outstanding! As a youngster, I didn't know there was such a thing as a grebe. Even today, I can't tell one from a duck. City girl, I guess, even though I presently live in "the country." I LOVE learning from your blog, Coy. Thanks.

Chad Oneil Myers said...

Nice catch to both you and the grebe ;)