Yeah I think that was the fastest catch and swallow I ever saw.

Thanks. I think this heron’s level of big game hunting is unusual for his species. I saw this particular heron hunting gophers a couple years ago. Also I saw one with all its toes trying to catch gophers but it wasn’t until this week did I actually document one catching one.

They are gopher snuff movies for sure, or heron feast movies.

Yeah it surprised me when it put it down but it seemed the gopher hadn’t made a good plan to escape.

These guys are clever. I watched one carry a beef rib into the water to use as bait.

Yeah I edited out probably half of it so it was even longer. I have sympathy for those gophers.

Thanks. Honestly this bird was interesting enough for me to make following it easier.

Yes it is interesting how the very different preys have similar strategies to hunt. I have videos of this type of heron hunting fish and in both cases they are very stealthy and use similar techniques.

Yeah this bird is definitely hunting bigger game than most night herons so it can’t kill its prey very quickly. I edited out some so it took even longer in real life.

Here in California they primarily hunt Botta’s Pocket Gophers. The vast majority of my videos are Great Blue Herons hunting gophers. They are really good at it.

It's called the Bennu heron with a height of 2 m / 6.6 ft. Would be interesting to watch. Not to be watched... 😅

Thank you. That is my intention.

Yeah I always see dinosaurs too but the dinosaurs beat the mammals this time.

Yes being a gopher is hard. So many things want to eat them.

Thanks. This guy is a real interesting bird. I learned a lot watching it. It helps that it is super easy to video.

Thank you. Have a nice day too.

Thanks. This one kind of surprised me when I watched it for the first time. I thought the light was too dim but it turned out well. I love how dramatically this bird moves sometimes.

Thanks. This bird is really a pleasure to watch. It is full of surprises.

They are different. I’ve never seen a mole here in California. Moles eat bugs and worms primarily. Gophers are rodents that eat plants.

@@jimzenor9148 Moles eat shoots and roots especially tubers. They're plenty where I come from. I asked because the two look very similar save for names.

99% sure that is a vole, which is neither a mole nor a gopher (which are also as different as a mouse and a rabbit).

@@jimzenor9148yes, but thats a vole, not a mouse or gopher or mole.

​@@leonardgithinji9899 Moles are mostly carnivors (earthworms, insects,...). Only a few species of them eat plants too (as a small part of their food; just read at Wikipedia). I think you meant voles, as I thougt too because I didn't know Botta's pocket gophers til now (see other comments). We don't have them in Europe.

Yes. Egrets in fact are a type of heron.

Thanks. I really really appreciate that. Although it is currently hunting in Area 3, I first saw this bird in 2021 near the wooden walk bridge by the Spring Street entrance.

@@jimzenor9148 I lived directly west of the LBP range. I loved hearing the rouinds going off. I participated in a car show outside the range... but stepped in some poop. LOL

I live real close to there too, near Los Coyotes Diagonal and Conant. El Dorado is luckily the closest park.

I usually use my Canon R6 with a 400 mm EF F4 DO lens. It is definitely my best lens and it just makes everything look better IMO. In the right light it can take very nice pictures.

I think the bird grabs the gopher by the throat and cuts off its air. It also shakes it. It does seem to me that gophers are surprisingly easy to kill or maybe that heron is really strong. I can tell you that when I first noticed this night heron a couple years ago it was near a couple others and I remember thinking this heron was much bigger and stronger than the others. Now I wonder if that might be due to its predatory nature.

Thanks. Honestly I think the best secret for photography is finding a subject that lets you get close and lets you move around for the best angle. This bird lets me be its paparazzi.

I agree. The large herons are so much easier on the gopher. This heron is small so it’s much harder to swallow it quickly. I can’t blame th heron but I really sincerely feel for that gopher.

I think it generally does a grab but I took another video the next day (yesterday) where the bird did seem to impale a gigantic gopher. I’m not sure when I’ll have time to process it but I hope to post early next week. It quickly dropped it and then did the neck grab and shake for nearly a half hour.

Thanks. We seem to be having a down year for gophers in my usual places.

That's a Heron not a bird.