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THE TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 07 December 09 Heron eats snake eating fish

Photo: Heron: Mr Crooks saw the Great Blue Heron dart into the water after what he thought was a fish. (National)

A heron got an unexpected double helping when it swooped on a snake as the reptile was enjoying its own fish meal.

The incident was captured by wildlife photographer David Crooks at the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in a wetlands area near the Potomac River in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Mr Crooks saw the Great Blue Heron dart into the water after what he thought was a fish. It then emerged with the snake, but it was only when he checked the pictures later that he realised the snake was eating a fish.

Mr Crooks said: "The Great Blue Heron frequents this area along with Great Egrets and other migrant birds. I know that Great Blue Herons will stand for long periods of time with little to no movement. And this particular day was no exception.

"Shooting pictures of birds is a solitary experience that requires incredible amount of patience. So, I settled in for the long wait and consequently was ready at the precise moment that this Great Blue Heron began its descent into the water.

"I prefer catching birds in action instead of just standing around so when this Great Blue Heron dove in for its usual meal of small fish, I was ready when it got more than it could chew.

"The hunt for the food happened very fast and I just kept shooting.

"I saw the snake swim away and did not realize how big it was until I saw the photos. When I saw my photo on the computer screen, I thought something was strange with the snakes mouth.

"It was not until then, that I realized that the snake was eating a fish when the Great Blue Heron was trying to eat the snake.

"I set out to find out more about the snake. It was later identified it as a Northern Water Snake. I am still not sure what kind of fish the snake was trying to eat."
Heron eats snake eating fish

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