This is the time of year when the salmon swim from Lake Ontario up stream to spawn. Usually this is a good spot to photograph them as they jump over the dam. Really it's not a dam, but a barrier that blocks an invasive species ... the Sea Lamprey. It's barriers and traps like this that prevent adult lampreys from moving upstream to spawn. Look carefully and you can see a blue heron standing on the far side.
***********************************************
The salmon are way too big for this guy to handle.
***********************************************
Something has got his attention.
***********************************************
Having a long beak pays off.
***********************************************
Catch of the day. PS: The fish were not in a jumping mood.
Such interesting shadows of the bird.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting and great shots of that heron. They are wonderful fishers! I didn't know about the lampreys.
ReplyDeleteAlso a nice catch for you. Its a miracle that salmon is able to jump over such an obstacle. Luckely a lamprey not. Nice sequence of photo's Andy.
ReplyDeleteGreat nature shots today! You got some great photos of that bird in action.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots!!
ReplyDeleteThis is great, you were there at the right moment. Lucky heron he had his meal in the end!
ReplyDeleteGreat series of shots, Andy!
ReplyDeleteHa! How clever of the heron to catch the fish without getting its feet wet.
ReplyDeleteShortly after the St Lawrence Seaway opened the Lamprey eels moved into Lake Michigan and devastated the Whitefish populations who had no defenses. Think the Lampreys are mostly gone now, but not sure the Whitefish have recovered. Living in salmon country is a special treat. Lucky and skillful heron.
ReplyDeleteGreat Great Blue Heron capture capture! Try to make sense of that. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat shots, Andy! I was thinking that might be Duffin's Creek and it was.
ReplyDeleteGood to know there's a barrier to keep the lamprey eels out, Andy. I enjoyed these photos. Salmon spawning season in British Columbia was always a chance for my father, a devoted sport fisherman, to educate us when we were young.
ReplyDeleteSounds awful, in a previous comment, to think the lampreys devastated the whitefish population in Lake Michigan. Whitefish are pretty bony but they don't deserve extermination.
K
Salmon or not, it was a fun post! :)
ReplyDeleteThe salmon don't always cooperate with photographers but I think your heron "consolation prize" more than makes up for any absence of fish! Very nice!
ReplyDeleteBravo, Andy. I enjoyed today's series.
ReplyDeletePatience is a virtue! Love the clear captures.
ReplyDelete