A Great Egret (Ardea alba), a large white heron with long black legs and yellow-orange bill, spotted during a photowalk through Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. Fellow Project Noah citizen scientist and avid birder “AshleyBradford” told me, “They’re [Great Egrets] somewhat rare in the area this time of year.” Can anyone identify the fish in the bird’s bill? I think it could be a catfish.
Editor’s Note: I consulted David Lawlor, Resource Manager, Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County Park Authority, for help in identifying the fish. According to David, …
I think you are right, the fish appears to be a catfish. More precisely it appears to be a bullhead, either a Brown- or Yellow Bullhead. They are nearly impossible to tell apart without having them in hand and we have both in our park streams.
David’s tentative species identification is supported by maps showing the distribution of catfish at Fairfax County monitoring sites. Thanks, David!
Tech Tips: The lens of my new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 camera was set on maximum telephoto (600 mm). The photo was cropped and adjusted using Apple “Aperture,” a professional-grade tool for organizing and adjusting photos.
Copyright © 2012 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved. www.wsanford.com
Tags: Ardea alba, Great Egret, Huntley Meadows Park, predator, prey, Project Noah, wildlife photography
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