During a recent walk at the lake, I spotted a great egret (Ardea alba) strolling through the shallows searching for a meal.  As I watched the wading bird, various ducks crossed its path at various times, and eventually I spied a great blue heron (Ardea herodias) in the distance who likewise was searching for food.  This video starts with the egret, includes some ducks in the middle, and ends with the egret in the foreground and the heron in the background.  Oh, and the damned plane flying overhead that remains heard but not seen.  Argh.

Also notice the great blue heron in the background catches and eats something immediately following his appearance.  It was unexpected by me as I didn’t even know he was there, so you can’t see much detail other than the end of the hunt, the quick catch, the head thrown back to accommodate swallowing, and the return to a lazy afternoon fishing.

This video is intended to lower your blood pressure.  It works as well for me when I watch it as it did when I was filming it.  Very casual.  No hurry at all.  Just relaxing…

[I apologize for the video quality based on my distance from the birds; I was out on the pier next to where I live; the only other option was to be on the shore, which is further away; I could have stripped down and gone into the water, I suppose, but a bleached white ape jumping into the lake would not have been conducive to keeping the birds calm — or in position]