Last year around this time I saw a Great Blue Heron take a Bullfrog from the Wetlands. From capture to swallow, the whole process took approximately 13 minutes. On May 19 of this year the heron (or another just like it) took another big frog out of the water. This frog was dispatched in less than ten minutes.
Just another day in the Wetlands.
Funny how the heron dunks the frog before he eats it. Does that improve the taste or the digestion? Wonderful pictures! How long does a heron rest after eating something this size before catching another meal?
I would think that the dunking would help lubricate the frog for an easier slide down the gullet.
Typically, when I see herons eat such a large prey item as the frog in the photos at left, they fly off to a favorite perch to rest, preen, and presumably digest. They often remain at that perch for several hours. This heron appeared to go immediately on the hunt again. It walked into the water and resumed stalking prey.
I didn’t watch the heron for very long as I was needed somewhere else, but I’ll bet it went off to digest once the size and weight of the frog “registered” within the heron’s belly. But I don’t know that for sure.
Thanks,