More Death in the Pines

Not long after we witnessed the end of the cicada I noticed the snake that lives in our pond filter was on the prowl.

(The mosquitos seem always to be on the prowl ...)

Since I already had the camera out I turned and started shooting. But I missed the strike!

But the snake didn't.

And off he went with his prize.

The pond has a variety of fish of differing sizes and we were surprised the snake took one this large. We though that swallowing it would be a challenge. We were wrong.

It did take awhile for him to wrestle the fish out of the water and drag it up on to the rocks.

The fish was surprisingly docile. it seemed resigned to its fate, and struggled barely at all.

Once out of the water the snake repositioned the fish so as to swallow it head first.

This was the time for the fish to flop around and perhaps flip back into the pond and make its escape.

But it was not to be. The snake opened its jaws and gulped it down.

All that remained were a few scales on the rock.

And the snake. And the ever present mosquitos.

It is a dangerous place we've moved to ...