A few years ago, while shooting with Kevin Fleming for his Wild Delaware book, we witnessed a very rare and brutal scene. Many of us photographers shoot great blue herons posed as noble statues in the shallows waiting for a minnow to swim into striking range. But GBHs are opportunistic protein seekers, carnivores with a keen eye and sharp beak. Kevin and I were on site looking for a different subject when we heard a commotion in the marsh. This heron had come upon a baby clapper rail (I think) and wasted no time picking it up, flying away with it, and shaking it until it died. I have a great many photographs of the sequence but these five tell the story pretty well. Nature is not always pretty but rails eat small animals and sometimes rails feed larger animals. It is the cycle of life and the natural course of things.
