I pulled over at the on ramp to I-5 near Mt. vErnon so that the cell phone police would
be happy, and got to watch a Great blue Heron hunting in the grass of the cloverleaf.
He snatched up a good sized - at least 4 inch - mouse or vole (gray with long tail)
and waved it around a little. But didn't really try to bash it or break it up. Then,with a
deft flick, he rotated the body 90? so it was parallel with the long axis of the beak and
swallowed it. It was very much still alive and made the most ridiculous lump in the
throat. the bird turned away and the profile of the neck was most amusing - thin
head, a couple of inches of thin neck and then this LARGE BLOB about halfway
down, then thin neck again.
It took him a couple of minutes to get it down, still wiggling.........Clarice Clark
Puyallup, WA. 98371
mailto:jbroadus at seanet.com