Snowy Egrets are some of my favorite birds.  They are elegant, stunningly white, and easy to photograph.  And being a larger bird, easy to observe.

This Snowy Egret frequents the shoreline of Shoreline Lake in Mountain View, CA.  Recently on a morning walk I noticed that it was feeding on a fish.  I watched for about 5 minutes as it struggled to consume the largish fish, trying different angles and flipping the fish around in its beak.

Snowy Egret with fish head-first

Alas, I had to head to work so I was not able to see the outcome.  I know it was not good for the fish, but did the Egret succeed in swallowing the fish?

Snowy Egret trying a new angle

Snowy Egrets are common in shallow waters containing fish and shellfish in the southern 2/3 of the USA. In winter, their range pushes further south.

Is the fish looking at me?

This angle shows the size of the fish