Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

17th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
The frantic escape

A green heron, perching on a small island of rocks, stared straight down into the water, looking for any small creatures passing through. Upon finding what looked to be a snack, he pounced on a large bullfrog tadpole, vigorously throwing the tadpole around, angling it for a smooth trip down the gullet. Unfortunately he didn’t notice how he had accidentally poked a hole in the tadpoles abdomen, spilling out its innards. Eventually he notices his mistake and vigorously tries to get it off, by shaking his beak. After a few minutes of pure struggle and quite a few funny faces, he has the idea of rinsing it off in the nearby water. The method eventually works and he continues on his way, happy, full, and a little frazzled.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2019
Date Uploaded: 09.2019
Photo Location: Reading , California, United States of America
Camera: NIKON D3500
Copyright: © Malachi Isome