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I've been asked to demonstrate how to catch and eat a fish. It's not hard here in Okefenokee Swamp. I prefer to fish in a pretty shallow open area where I can fly through the water after fish and they can't dart down deep and get away from me. And there are lots of fish here that make a meal. I'm talking six to eight inch fish here.
Sometimes I can just grab the fish and other times I have to spear it with my sharp bill. Then I swim with it to one of the little hammocks in the lake and start the hard part - getting it off my bill and turned head first. I usually don't drop fish but sometimes a really wiggly fish manages to get loose from me. The fish doesn't have a chance to totally escape on land. I just grab it off the ground and start over on getting it presented properly to slide down my throat.
You gotta shake it - and shake it hard - to get it off your bill. Then grab it again and toss it up and grab it. Do this over and over - be patient now. All this may take several minutes. When you have the fish just behind its head, you got to swing it and also turn loose and re-grab it. You can't use your wings or feet to help. Just your bill and good timing.
When you get the fish lined up perfectly with your throat, ready to go in head-fist, all you need to do is swallow, and swallow, and swallow. Be SURE not to swallow it tail-first. That's a sure way to get the scales stuck in your throat. Pretty deadly!
If its a really big fish you might need to add a few more swallows. And a sip or two of water helps get it the last way down.
Now it's time to dry your wings so you can fly. But if danger arrives before your wings are dry, just dive back and fly through the water until you are safely away.
I've been asked to demonstrate how to catch and eat a fish. It's not hard here in Okefenokee Swamp. I prefer to fish in a pretty shallow open area where I can fly through the water after fish and they can't dart down deep and get away from me. And there are lots of fish here that make a meal. I'm talking six to eight inch fish here.
Sometimes I can just grab the fish and other times I have to spear it with my sharp bill. Then I swim with it to one of the little hammocks in the lake and start the hard part - getting it off my bill and turned head first. I usually don't drop fish but sometimes a really wiggly fish manages to get loose from me. The fish doesn't have a chance to totally escape on land. I just grab it off the ground and start over on getting it presented properly to slide down my throat.
You gotta shake it - and shake it hard - to get it off your bill. Then grab it again and toss it up and grab it. Do this over and over - be patient now. All this may take several minutes. When you have the fish just behind its head, you got to swing it and also turn loose and re-grab it. You can't use your wings or feet to help. Just your bill and good timing.
When you get the fish lined up perfectly with your throat, ready to go in head-fist, all you need to do is swallow, and swallow, and swallow. Be SURE not to swallow it tail-first. That's a sure way to get the scales stuck in your throat. Pretty deadly!
If its a really big fish you might need to add a few more swallows. And a sip or two of water helps get it the last way down.
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| Just one more swallow, and I'm done |
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