Great Blue Herons hunting and eating gophers

This is a video of two great blue herons hunting gophers and an unfortunate videographer that was struggling.

[@ArcadeWalrus]

Great video as usual! Hopefully the poisoned gophers don't make the herons sick.

[@johnberry1107]

Imagine going down that dark hole and finding yourself faced with a gizzard. Thank you.

[@cint4408]

I have been trying to learn the calls of the different birds, and I am not sure, but I think I hear a mockingbird impressing it's friends with every car alarm sound it has ever heard? Also - cool shot of the Merlin. I don't think I have ever seen one.

[@jimzenor9148]

Yeah that was mostly mockingbird. Merlin’s are really capable falcons mostly catching birds so I was a bit surprised to see it catch a dragonfly.

[@p47koji]

I wonder why they don't just use that explosive gas gizmo to kill the gophers?

[@jimzenor9148]

I think it is kind of like that. Someone told me that it is phosgene gas. I guess the pellets turn to that when they hit wet soil. I felt sorry for that gopher but I was glad the heron found him. I got an excellent video today from this heron. This one reminds me of Greta, small with big feet, and a very good hunter. It was hunting today in Greta’s favorite spot.

[@p47koji]

I do remember Greta... but Two Toes is my all-time favorite. 😉 It's dropping near +/- 40F at night here in Middleton, ID, but it's wonderful here.

[@jimzenor9148]

Congrats on finding a wonderful place. I was in Idaho a couple years ago in Coeur d'Alene and my wife and I were both amazed at how nice everyone was and it was very beautiful too. I loved following Two toes. That bird was really big and powerful and an excellent hunter too and he did it with one foot tied up too and that's not even talking about the other foot.