Great Blue Heron finally catches a big gopher

My favorite heron, Greta, finally catches a gopher. I have followed her most days in the early morning in the last month. She missed a lot of them.. This was the first one I saw her catch in about a month and she is a really good hunter.

[@glenmiles6279]

The heron asked ‘should i eat this? i replied,’you gopher it’.

[@kmac6893]

😂

[@noeld1748]

"Always wash your food before eating" Mama Heron

[@user-ln5dw2bx5s]

Wet is better to swallow it..

[@bartonpercival3216]

I use to live on a lake/lagoon in So Florida and I'd always loved watching the blue herons catching fish and snakes from my back yard

[@michaelh1889]

Good lord.... Bon appetit girlfriend !! 👍

[@WeltSchmerz1349]

Amazing heron! 🤗😍 I wish this long-legged girl good luck and good hunting (and lots of appetizing gophers...)

[@WanderingSoleTV]

Wow, incredible footage!!

[@jimzenor9148]

Thanks. The lighting was challenging but it did make the colors stand out.

[@SignalCorps1]

Carl, the Assistant Head Greenskeeper, could have put this Blue Heron to good use.

[@p47koji]

That was a big gopher indeed. Glad the GBH managed to recover from her injury.

[@tonystevenson5125]

The Heron looks a bit Thin. Good to see that it picked up a good sized meal. Also looks like it’s recovering

[@jimzenor9148]

Yeah I thought so too and I saw it struggle a lot but it had good luck lately

[@briancarey1159]

In case anyone doesn't know. The reason the heron half swallows its meal, especially bigger meals. And waits for a few minutes between gulps is that herons throats aren't that big. That heron swallow alittle and waits because the heron is allowing time for his throat to expand to accommodate its larger meal.

[@Turbo4Joe363]

I've seen something similar in 'certain' movies on the internet....lol

[@dantebernardino]

Great catch..timing and patience.. Sorry for the gopher

[@NeoGhk]

Always soak your food in water before swallowing. That can be a good advice for Herons and old people.

[@NYCknight2025]

Water = Nature’s Dipping Sauce

[@remyogun8270]

Dumb comment

[@BirdSongsFromAroundTheWorld]

Wow. Amazing catch and video

[@jimzenor9148]

Thanks. It was quite dark, just a bit of predawn light, but my camera handled it better than I expected.

[@BumfightkrewAmerica]

Kudos to camera man for not making a sound of excitement. Staying focused on capturing the moment.

[@adversereactor2253]

That's like eating the whole pack of sausages all at once.

[@philipcallicoat3147]

Don't know where they filmed the clip.... However, I used to live in the Monterey Bay area in Central coastal Ca.... Used to watch the big herons hunt for gophers in the park in Santa Cruz.....

[@rg2romanceworks871]

She dips the carcass in water just prior to the swallow so that the wet body goes down easier. That's my theory. What's yours?

[@jimzenor9148]

Yeah I agree 100%

[@NYCknight2025]

Dipping sauce

[@j.kimmer1509]

That Gopher never finished digging his home. That initial beak stab must of been very effective, Mr Gopher did his last poop and released his ghost in under a minute. ... I hated gophers as a kid when they destroyed my yard and dad had me try to flush them out but for the first time i truly feel bad for him.

[@no.1spectator39]

Damn.. broke the backbone with one Stroke

[@murphyr31]

She is a stunning lady.

[@jjohnson5014]

That swallow was a struggle

[@jimzenor9148]

Yeah it was. I struggle with my vitamin pill and that gopher was like thousands of pills

[@nemeanlioness]

@@jimzenor9148 try juice instead of water.

[@meggi8048]

@@jimzenor9148 just eat something normal, and put the pill in your mouth with the rest , you can swallot then just the food with the pill in one go. wont notice its even there.

[@fuzz668]

I need one of these guys on my farm! Gophers can be mean.

[@mephatboi]

Lol

[@tonystevenson5125]

On a farm, you’ll probably need a few!🙂

[@paulmorris9605]

mean how ?

[@fuzz668]

@@paulmorris9605 not only do they destroy/uproot all my crops from underneath, when I see them and try to shoo them away, they chase me and try to bite me.

[@paulmorris9605]

@@fuzz668 faie enough blitz those critters

[@AngryToasterOven]

Thank god I'm 6-foot and 180lbs. Imagine living in a world with 20-foot birds strutting around.

[@willldo4]

I'm 7'3, 400 pounds, so pretty much nobody messes with me.

[@maryc.dalton1284]

I’m amazed she could fly after eating that.

[@lisab8836]

Awesome video 💕

[@jimzenor9148]

Thanks

[@lisab8836]

Welcome 😊

[@dabwildlife4423]

Heartbreaking.. but stunning video

[@jimzenor9148]

This particular heron died about a month later. It was my favorite heron and really by far my favorite wild animal so for me it kind of breaks my heart a bit just to watch her again. She had been struggling so I was happy she got a good meal. Anyway thanks.

[@akhil100]

Once I swallowed a boiled egg. It was challenging. I am sure the heron also experienced similar predicament.

[@jimzenor9148]

Wow that’s amazing if not a quail egg

[@frith4707]

She has lovely eyes

[@monos70]

So the gopher died from a heart attack instead of the heron's bite?

[@jimzenor9148]

I think she got it a little deeper than it appeared but I see your point. It almost looked like she scared it to death

[@JoeKnowsWorst]

how did that gopher actually die? it’s interesting to see sometimes, maybe it’s just the video edits but it looked like that gopher was dead almost immediately after it was in the heron’s mouth, without being poked a bunch with the beak, etc

[@jimzenor9148]

This was an unusual kill for this heron. This bird was very consistent about hitting their heads but in this instance I think her bill actually penetrated deeper than it seemed and hit the lung or heart. I’ve seen gophers struggling for many minutes at times and it did seem odd that this gophers died so quickly. This particular gopher was very memorable for me because I would wait for the heron on a bench about a half hour before sunrise and the heron would consistently walk out of the cattails and stand near me for about 5 minutes and then she would go gopher hunting. For about two weeks she would always go to this particular gopher mound first. It was a very large gopher. Anyway she finally got it and I was happy for her because she was recovering from a limp. I didn’t edit the video except stringing video clips together. The light was darker than it appears and my camera was struggling to maintain focus.

[@trafyknits9222]

As the Hall and Oates song says: "I Can't Gopher That"

[@jimzenor9148]

That’s funny. I might have to use that one for a future video title.

[@gumjuicee6746]

Poor little buddy was building his little home 😂

[@herbrothersoutdoors501]

Awesome footage!! What camera are you using?

[@jimzenor9148]

I have a Canon R6 and my lens is a Canon EF 400 mm DO

[@ghenkhoash2440]

The gopher died very fast. I think she stabbed the heart.

[@seanscanlon9067]

Looked like it fainted out of fright!

[@jimzenor9148]

Yeah that’s what I said to my brother. He thought maybe it broke its back.

[@meggi8048]

yea i noticed this too. really wonder what killed it?

[@No-xq5oh]

if it stabbed the heart directly, it would die immediately.

[@ghenkhoash2440]

@@No-xq5oh No, stabbing the heart won't kill immediately. The brain will survive for few seconds. That's exactly what's happening here. The Gopher is moving and fighting for a short time and suddenly stopped moving.

[@conceptualclarity]

Gopher is struggling and then without any further blows it suddenly and completely stops. I wondered if it decided to play dead but an online search says gophers don't play dead 🤔

[@jimzenor9148]

Usually it is really obvious but yeah this kill was unusual. I suspect that initial spear was deeper and deadlier than it appears. This heron was old and very expert.

[@timMycat-ov2kg]

Amazing.

[@deanyoung9214]

Just imagine having trained Herons for rent. You would put exterminators out of business

[@johnm.3279]

Queue the Caddyshack theme.

[@alikaraca163]

the strike was brutal

[@Ardanmuraigacor]

Saya menyukai video mu sahabat,,.....

[@ecbst6]

Damn, Nature! You scary!

[@parrotworld3181]

Nice hunting

[@wolfster2287]

How did this little thing die? It seems like it stop moving five seconds after the Heron caught it. What is it a shock?

[@jimzenor9148]

Personally I think she stabbed it through the lungs or heart but it was very hard to be sure.

[@philpalmer4877]

No mustard?

[@qidongxu7339]

I like owls and herons, eat the whole prey, not wasting anything. Unlike other birds of prey like hawks and eagles only eat meat

[@jimzenor9148]

I agree. Nose to tail gets all the nutrition and wastes nothing.

[@GazAce]

Talk about "heavy on the stomach"

[@koczisek]

sniper-bird

[@PapaBearWorldPeace]

She ate him like she was dunking an oreo

[@johncalmerin6689]

Atleast he washes off his food

[@e.m.5499]

That's gonna take a few days to digest. Probably won't need a meal for weeks.

[@jimzenor9148]

Yeah you’d think but I have been amazed at how much these guys can eat.

[@mastery7901]

How did that Gopher even die? I dont think the beak pierced its skin?

[@jimzenor9148]

Her beak is super sharp but I agree that did seem pretty shallow to kill that gopher. I think she must have hit a vital organ.

[@andrewblack293]

Imagine.....he's gonna have to 💩 that out! 👀

[@jimzenor9148]

You sure don’t want your car under it when it happens.

[@andrewblack293]

@@jimzenor9148 right?

[@tien90802]

Did the gopher die? Did it get pierced by the Heron? Why does it dunk it in the water?

[@jimzenor9148]

This heron would soak the big ones before swallowing. They definitely went down better when wet.

[@Interventor-xn5bs]

O esquilo se chamava petralhus novededus. A ave se chama Bolsonarus brasiliensis.

[@richardlynch1094]

WOW!!!

[@_its_just_mana_]

The Great Blue Heron locked on 1:30

[@alessandrorighi3379]

It's s killer..

[@treyarthurtv]

Bro the Gopher died of shock?!? What hap?!

[@marty389]

I am surprised there was very little struggle, did it kill the gopher by stabbing ? Seems very fast

[@jimzenor9148]

Yeah I agree. This heron was usually very consistent at hitting behind the head. It may be the only time that I saw her strike mid back but it did seem effective and the gopher died quickly. I think she may have hit the heart

[@jimzenor9148]

@@UnSenorMuySerio yeah you could be right. It was one of the strangest kills I’ve seen.

[@anonymike8280]

Yeah, I think if I weighed only six pounds, a good gopher would do it for me.

[@gerrysabron]

this is why you look both ways before you take off..

[@sultanacademy2339]

it is very difficult to eat it , very very near to death ,,,

[@PascalKammer.]

👍👍👍

[@edwardhumphries8806]

Cut short at the end ,did it go down

[@jimzenor9148]

Yeah the bird swallowed it. The video did show it so maybe some glitch happened when you viewed it. I just double checked and the bird did manage to wolf it down

[@RajnaTMS]

Wow

[@lastcommodore9651]

So the gopher dies just from hanging like that, within one minute ..

[@jimzenor9148]

I’ve watched it in slow motion a couple days ago and I think she stabbed it pretty hard initially. I agree it’s hard to tell in this video because it’s really fast and I’m not sure

[@kgb691927]

O She droned it

[@manhngo4275]

it has a killing procedure. Then, going to the lake to take some water because of the dry food.

[@muhammadsalikmumtaz5713]

Ada penampakan suara ciblek kristal mantap

[@hanadsayid7081]

Why he takes to the water 💧?

[@jimzenor9148]

If the gopher is small the heron doesn’t need water but I think it is easier to swallow big gophers like that one after it is dunked in water.

[@josephalcindor4201]

Il ne va jamais terminé sa maison 🏠 le pauvre 😢🥺

[@condor5635]

Wonder if they ever catch one and realize it’s too big. Like a smaller heron nope not gonna get that down the pipe!

[@jimzenor9148]

I videoed one once about a year ago and it took a half out and several tries. I haven’t seen one too big yet

[@condor5635]

@@jimzenor9148 - thanks! Most excellent video. Great work.

[@jimzenor9148]

@@condor5635 oops. That was supposed to say a half hour to swallow. It was so heavy the bird had to rest its head on ground several times. Thanks

[@ronbo30]

Ever hear of focusing?

[@jimzenor9148]

The lighting was quite dark, much darker than it appeared and the automatic focus wouldn’t work well. I kept having to hit button to refocus. I probably should have just went with manual but it is really hard to manually on a heron’s head in low light with a viewfinder. Also the depth of field is very shallow due to maximum aperture needed for low light. I was good at focusing but I’ve gotten better but I still have room for improvement. Trust me, it’s not that easy

[@pacoperez1388]

Cómo lo mato ??🤔🤔🤔

[@joselassalle4958]

El pico es como una lanza. Lo perforó.

[@sharathchandra1210]

A real Christian bird, it washes its food, then says Grace "give me this day my daily supply of gopher or any other suitable swallowable lively peace of meat" and then gulps it down.

[@BrittKGM]

Poor gopher ☹️

[@jamessills5802]

Nutria

[@tomscott3]

have teeth would probably help tremendously

[@barnabascollins4625]

🤮

[@antonioginez2060]

I never like Heron. I hope someday heron meet a large pit bull and the pit bull will kill the Heron . or even Honey Badger. Heron dont stand the chance to live. She will be torn apart.

[@toddbennett7157]

Probably one THE MOST inane comments I've ever read . . . . .

[@kmanutoob]

​@@toddbennett7157 Antonio is actually the gopher's brother.

[@dragonknightofamiraka3636]

Pit Bull lovers are as trashy as they come. These savage scum suckers downright relish the opportunity to watch their vicious, stinking, dogs, tear an animal to shreds right in front of them.

[@dewbow134]

The bird's gotta eat

[@ceo-kienthucthanhcong]

Waooo ... để quay được cảnh này bạn phải tốn rất nhiều thời gian theo dõi. Cảm ơn bạn !

[@etet4736]

Gopher seems to die within seconds! Like if the skin pulled under it's rib cage stopped its breathing.

[@makimare5942]

He seriously dies just by hanging in the air?

[@lkwebad]

Good job

[@sandromardon2318]

@Biomesquita

[@jimmywoods7879]

We can kill all the gophers.. we don't even need a reason.... I'M ALRIGHT DON'T NOBODY WORRY ABOUT ME