NICK MATHIOS
IG: @nickm807 Canon EOS 550D Canon 100 – 400 mm lens
NICK WRITES: I took this photo from my favourite hide – Lake Panic in the Kruger. The African fish-eagle had caught a fish and was enjoying its meal when a goliath heron flew over to try and claim the fish-eagle’s catch. Suffice to say, “panic” broke out at Lake Panic, although more so in the hide among all the photographers trying to get a shot!
The two giants battled it out with wings spread to the max, showing their dominance and power. In the end, the fish-eagle stood its ground, and the heron flew off with empty “hands”. The whole interaction lasted about two minutes.
I had my camera set to Sport mode, using a shutter speed of 1/400 second, aperture f5.6 and ISO 200.
TOAST SAYS: The fish-eagle and goliath heron are heavyweights when it comes to birds usually found near water. They’re Holyfield and Tyson – the best of their weight division.
Nick’s photo beautifully illustrates a typical bird tactic: spreading its wings and puffing
