About the Image(s)

CHOMP!
Nikon D800, Nikkor 200-400 lens with tc1.4. ISO 640, f5.6, 1/1000 Handheld
This was taken in 2021. It is shown here for Bud, just so he can see Gators actually capture and eat large wading birds.
This was taken in Johnathan Dickenson State Park in Florida. The park is a favorite for people who like to canoe and kayak. The waterway are broad (averaging 50-70 feet wide) and meander like rivers for several miles. It was early morning and I was attaching my camera to a tripod that I configured to mount on my kayak. This lets me drift while siting under my camo trap and I can get quite close to nesting birds without disturbing them. I had reach my target area and was setting mounting the camera prior to connecting the tarp when I saw a large gator moving purposely under some branches hanging over an area where a Great White Egret was wading and stalking his breakfast. I saw the gator submerge and grabbed my camera top aim toward the bird when the water erupted. I heard the snap when the jaws closed. I fired a burst of 14 frame the first two are a bit soft but the rest are tack sharp. I like this one because it shows an open gator eye, a wing and neck and a bird leg. In the background on the right you can see the gator’s tail. The gator thrashed his head back and forth so the eye does not show in all the shots. But this is one of those unforgettable moments being behind the camera.