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Life And Death In The Wild

© Bill Houghton

Life And Death In The Wild

Uploaded: September 02, 2009

Description

While I was at the pond shooting wildlife, I saw this scene unfold. This Great Blue Heron flew in and grabbed one of the little baby ducklings right our from under it’s mother’s clutch. The mother duck tried to fight him off, but to no avail. He flew off with it down to the end of the pond where he promptly swallowed it alive
and whole.
This looks cruel to us, but this is life in the
wild. The strong always win.

Canon EF300mm 4.0 L IS lens, 1/500 sec., F5.6, iso 800

Comments

Tammy Espino September 02, 2009

Wow!! That is so sad for the duck family and breaks my heart for that baby duck, but to view this!! Wow, and what an awesome action capture!!! #1175798

Michelle Alton September 03, 2009

A tremendous photographic capture, Bill. I've never seen one take another bird. Very evocative photo. #7911382

Joy Rector September 04, 2009

excellent capture #7914719

David A. Simons September 06, 2009

It's sad but a great capture, Bill #7920718

Carol Sawyer September 08, 2009

Excellent action capture, sooo very sad, Bill!! #7926450

Renata Gusciora September 08, 2009

Awesome action capture,wow,Bill! #7927082

Nancy L. Green level-classic September 09, 2009

Sad to see this but an ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING wild life capture!!! Superbly done with amazing timing and great drama and presentation!! <>< #7929500

Teresa Burnett level-classic September 09, 2009

Outstanding timing on this awesome capture, Bill! My heart aches for the duckling and the mother duck, but my head tells me that yes, this is the law of nature. I have several bird feeders out in my yard and really enjoy watching the tiny birds antics, but I am also amazed everytime a hawk swoops in a nabs one on the fly! So far have never managed to have the camera at the ready for events like that! #7930191

Kitty R. Rodehorst-Hanna September 10, 2009

This is AWESOME, Bill!!! Didn't you win an award with this shot? :-) k #7933291

Hendrik Storme September 11, 2009

Spectacular image,Bill! #7933885

Leslie McLain level-classic September 11, 2009

What an amazing capture (poor baby duck) and a great story. Very well done, Bill. #7934711

Karacan Salkuci (Kalacay) September 11, 2009

Incredible image Bill.Beautiful gallery.I saw both of your galleries.Congratulations fantastic,memorable images in both galleries. #7935939

Kirsten Kiki Kjaer September 12, 2009

It always breaks my heart to see something like this but it's daily life in Nature, I know. And you got a fantastic action shot out of it for sure. #7936201

Mary K. Robison September 13, 2009

Photos like this always give me such extremely mixed feelings, Bill.
I envy your expertise and timing in capturing an undeniably dramatic image. But my own captures of ducklings in much "cuter" circumstances makes such a stark comparison with "survival of the fittest" shots like this.
Regardless, this is an exceptional capture. #7938608

Jane Hirst September 14, 2009

Great image...but sad. Wonderful stop action, very sharp, nicely composed. Still I wish the duckling had gotten away. #7942960

Cathy Barrows January 13, 2010

awesome capture but sad to watch even though I know the way of the world #8295329

Shelly A. Van Camp level-classic January 14, 2010

Sad, but true.....Great capture, Bill! #8297090

Freddy Bland January 29, 2010

Amazing capture! The clarity is so remarkable! A glimpse at the reality of life and you were right on it in an instant! Super work, Bill. #8341057

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