The spawning season for kokanee brings out both predators and cameras. This combination increases the chances of capturing interesting scenes. Yesterday’s walk recorded winners and losers among the predators and some rather satisfying images.
A Common Merganser chasing a fish produces an impressive burst of speed — and a striking image.
Speed pays. Six seconds after being caught, the fish had vanished down the merganser’s gullet.
While the merganser was a winner, this osprey lost. It did catch a kokanee now clasped in the bird’s left claws. Alas, catching a fish is only part of the exercise for it has to be lifted from the water and flown to a place where it can be eaten. This kokanee proved too heavy to lift. After three failed attempts, the osprey gave up and flew off without it.
Many thanks for amazing pictures,
Amazing and Great captures, Alistair! That Merganser is Unique to say the least, possibly a first.
Do you think an Adult Osprey would have been successful in lifting that Kokanee? I see it is a darn big fish but I wonder if a bit more strength and experience may have lifted that monster to the table.
Bill
Bill, that merganser picture just happened to be taken during the right millisecond as she switched her chase from tipped-up planing to a dive. The tip of her bill has just entered the water but her eye is still above it. The pattern of the water streaming back is reminiscent of a visualization of the shockwave of a supersonic jet.
That osprey is an adult: Other pictures in the sequence clearly show that its flight feathers lack the white flecking of juveniles. While ospreys often fail to capture a fish, this was the first time I had seen one captured, but, despite repeated attempts, unabled to be lifted from the water.