Green Heron at UC Fullerton Arboretum.

We can learn a lot by watching animals. Unlike humans, they remain focused on their task at all times. This Green Heron, gone fishin at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine, California was no exception.

Green Herons, like most members of the heron and egret family, fish and crustaceans for a living. They have to get good at it to survive. Of the family members that occur in North America, the Great Blue Heron and the Cattle Egret eat land-based critters. The Great Blue Heron will eat anything it can fit in its mouth including rodents and birds. The Cattle Egret eats mostly insects, but also frogs and worms.

This Green Heron waited patiently, coiled like a spring and camouflaged in the bulrushes. Watch the Heron intently following fish in the water nearby. It almost strikes, but the distance to the fish is wrong. When a fish finally comes within striking distance, the Heron lunges with lightning speed and precision.

The gone fishin’ video was digiscoped with a Panasonic Lumix G2 camera attached to a Kowa TSN-884 spotting scope using a Kowa TSN-DA10 Digital Camera Adapter.