Coming in hot…
If you’re outside, you know there’s always a chance of some rain falling out of nowhere, but if you’re like me, you’d never in a million years expect a fish would come flying from the clouds.
But somehow, that’s exactly what people at a backyard BBQ experienced when a large raptor swooped down with a good sized fish in its talons, but for some reason let go.
The fish went flying through the air before smacking the wooden fence with a solid thud. It fell to the ground where it continued to flop around, meaning it had to have just been caught.
It’s pretty much impossible to tell the species of bird or fish, but there’s no shortage of videos showing all kinds of bird of prey scooping up large meals, like this hawk toying with a rabbit and this golden eagle tossing a mountain goat off a cliff, but they’re also known to ditch their meal mid-flight if they feel it’s too heavy or is putting up a solid fight.
Regardless of the reason, these people were treated to a nice fish to throw right on the grill.
The funniest part of the whole thing was one of the guys’ reactions to the fish landing in the yard.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to catch all week.”
Fishermen everywhere can relate to that.
Even when relaxing in the backyard, you gotta keep your head on a swivel. Hope they cut it up and got that puppy on the grill.
Seabirds Dive-Bombing A School Of Fish Is Incredible To Watch
Man, I’d never heard of these birds before but if this is how they act, I want to remain far, far away.
Gannets are a large white bird with yellow heads and black tipped wings that measure up to 6 and a half feet wide. They are split into three distinct species (Northern, Cape, and Australasian) primarily based on location and are found in and around the United Kingdom, south Africa, southern Australia, and New Zealand.
They are closely related to boobies (had to throw that in), which are seabirds that often feature blue feet. Boobies have many of the same characteristics of gannets, which are explained well in the video’s description, so let’s read it straight from there.
“They hunt their prey by diving from as high as 40m (130ft), slamming into the water at speeds of up to 100kph (62mph), and plunging themselves up to 35m (115ft) below the surface, allowing them to catch fish much deeper than most airborne seabirds.
Along with their streamlined bodies and powerful neck muscles, gannets have a special adaptation that allows them to break the surface tension of the water without injury – air sacs located under the skin of the face and chest cushion them from the impact with the sea.
These air sacs are connected to the lungs. They are filled with air when the bird breathes in and that air is returned to the lungs by squeezing (contracting) the muscles around them.
The gannet’s nostrils (more like slits) are located inside the bill, when they dive these slits are covered by a flap of hard tissue to prevent the sea from forcing its way inside.”
These guys hit the water at over 60 mph and dive down to 115 feet below the surface to catch fish? That’s one of the most insane things I’ve ever learned about wildlife, and trust me I spend a fair bit of my time researching…
Another somewhat fun fact I learned about these guys is their genus name is Morus, which was derived from the ancient Greek word moros meaning means “Stupid” or “Foolish”, because they would constantly land on boats and walk straight up to sailors, allowing them to easily be caught and used for food.
This particular video comes to us from Trinity Bay, New Zealand and shows a flock of gannets absolutely swarming a school of herring. Those poor fish never saw it coming and had no chance against this relentless attack. Seeing hundreds of these birds work together to ensure everyone gets a bite to eat is extraordinarily impressive.
Gannets and boobies… more cool animals that I didn’t know existed.
Nature is endlessly fascinating.
Bald Eagle Steals Fisherman’s Catch Right Off The Line
Anybody that likes to fish has experienced “the one that got away.”
A fish that hits the lure hard and fights tough but ultimately never winds up in the net, hauled ashore, or pulled into the boat. Sometimes the line breaks, sometimes the hook slides out of its mouth, and sometimes a bald eagle swoops down, grabs the fish with its talons, and flies off into the wind to eat your fish.
Ok, maybe that last one isn’t all that common…
Getting robbed by a bald eagle is exactly what happened to a fly fisherman near Sitka, Alaska, last summer. The angler was reeling in an Arctic char on a picturesque wilderness stream when a bald eagle swooped down from the trees, snatched the char, and took off for the sky.
The guy holding the rod could do nothing but stand there in awe as the line unspooled rapidly off of the reel. The eagle eventually ripped the fish right off the hook, and the fisherman found some solace in the fact that the eagle ripped the fish clean off the hook, so at least it didn’t steal his fly too.
His disbelief at what he was witnessing is exhibited perfectly by his colorful language. I imagine losing the fish is worth capturing incredible footage like this on camera.
So the next time you go fishing in the Last Frontier remember that bald eagles are more prevalent in Alaska than anywhere else in the world. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the state is home to an estimated 30,000 of the birds.
While the bald eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782, the species has been a spiritual symbol for Alaska Natives for far longer than that.
Eagles are primarily fish eaters, and Alaska’s widespread waterways and world-class fisheries offer excellent habitat and provide abundant food sources for the birds, which is why the state is home to such robust eagle populations.
One eye on the line, and one eye on the sky…
Bald Eagle Drags Muskie All The Way To The Shore
I could’ve gone my entire life without knowing that bald eagles can swim.
I would’ve been too embarrassed to ask.
But lo and behold, a Twitter user boating in Minnesota just so happened to capture footage of an eagle swimming in the St. Croix River.
Seemingly injured, the eagle was floating about, sheepishly making his way to shore.
But as it turns out, he wasn’t injured, no this eagle has a massive muskie in his talons, a muskie too big to lift out of the water.
So rather than hunting for a smaller fish, one that he could gracefully dive bomb, rip clean out of the water, and fly off into the wild blue yonder, this bad mf’er dragged the live fish all the way to shore and ate him right there.
Nature is so cool. Oh yeah, and…
‘Merica.
