The one that did not get away 

Text and photos by Heather Cline 

You always hear about the one that got away, but what about those unlucky souls who did not get away? As much as I root for the one being pursued to make a miraculous getaway, I understand the circle of life is inevitable if life is to continue. This post is dedicated to the predator who was successful in getting their prey. . . this time. 

Birds and Insects

Birds use a few different methods to capture insects: gleaning, probing, and hawking. Gleaning is when birds pick up insects from rocks, trees, the ground, etc. They may also use their beaks to probe under ground or in a crevice to pick up a tasty morsel. Hawking is the act of catching insects mid-air. All are effective techniques that everything from small songbirds all the way up to large hawks. 
 

Female Yellow-headed black bird with a mouthful of dragon flies

Yellow warbler with a mouthful of grasshopper!

Birds and crustaceans

Sea birds have a different type of food on their menu: seafood. These birds will gather crustaceans such as mussels or crabs from the land or tidepools on the coast. They are pretty crafty at getting their meal to open up too; by dropping them from the sky to break them open. 

Gull with mussel

Gull with a land crab - the "big mac" of the sea

Great Blue Heron with a limpet from a tidepool

Birds and fish

If you are ever in an area where a bird is carefully wading through shallow water, staring intently at the surface, hang out for a while and you are sure to get a good show. Fish-eating birds are equipped with bills that allow them to spear or catch fish with rigged edges. Some birds, like pelicans dive into the water to catch fish, others dive under, and some simply shove their heads under and grab unsuspecting fish. 

Snowy Egret with fish (possibly a salmon fry)

Western Grebe with fish of unknown variety

Green Heron with fish (also possibly a salmon fry)

Great Blue Heron with large fish captured from a tidepool

Merganser that may have bit off more than he can chew (Kokanee salmon)

Mammals

Not to be outdone by the birds, these mammals have managed to catch a quick meal too. 

Mink with frog

Sea otter with crab. Otters will often use rocks as tools to break open tough shells, or they will just rip them open with their teeth!

Grizzly Bear with salmon. The bears of Katmai National Park have a salmon buffet during spawning season. They will often dive under water to catch salmon under the surface. As you can imagine, these bears smell "amazing".

Hyena with wildebeest. Hyenas have incredibly strong jaws that can tear through bone. With a bite force of 1,100 PSI, their bite is stronger than most large cats.

Wildlife predators come in all shapes and sizes, and use a variety of means to hunt and catch prey. This post displays a small sample of what they do every day to survive. While we have the luxury of obtaining food, practically on demand, they must use the tools they are born with to stalk, hunt, and catch their next meal. Think about that the next time you are at the McDonald's drive thru!