Courtesy of Mike B., who sent them via e-mail, we have this series of seven photographs from Lakelse Lake in north-western British Columbia, Canada.
They show an eagle attempting to bring down a swan over the lake. In sequence from first to last, you see the eagle’s strike, its attempts to hang on to a bird as large as (or larger than) itself, and then the swan falling as the eagle loses its grip. Mike tells me the swan landed in the water and swam off, while the eagle went back to circling and looking for lunch.
Click each picture for a larger view.
I guess it was the swan’s lucky day and the eagle’s turn to diet!
EDITED TO ADD: I’ve been contacted by Kelly Munday of Terrace, BC, Canada, who claims to be the photographer who took these pictures. Thanks for getting in touch, Kelly, and I hope you get your Web site up and running soon, so that hi-res versions of these pictures can be put up. I’ll post a link as soon as you do. Great work!
Peter
Beautiful Hi-Res pics. Would love to see more. Does the photographer have a website?
See what happens when you reflexively super-size your meal?
The eagle maybe should have stuck with fillet o’fish and a side of squirrel.
Animal kingdom ACM! I love watching from my window as local mockingbirds and blue jays engage circling hawks. The hawks will glide along as the smaller birds dive, bank, and jink while plucking and pecking at the larger birds. It reminds me of videos from WWII of German fighters bouncing B-17s en route to their targets.
I am the photographer, I live In Terrace BC. It was an amazing experience to witness this event.
Kelly Munday
Terrace, BC
Canada