Dinner with an alligator

Lately I've been fortunate to see our fairly elusive alligator. I've been able to sneak some shots of him as he sleeps on the banks of the lake behind our house.  However, I never catch him "doing" anything other than sleeping or swimming away.... until today!

I couldn't believe I caught him on video having his dinner of tilapia!

(So that none of you worry about me, I often film through our screened-in porch.  Because of that, please forgive the quality of this video.  Also, I am fairly afraid of these pre-historic creatures, so I shoot with a 70x zoom- which accounts for some of the shaking.  Also, no audio on this one- speaks for itself!)

Great White Heron Ballet

White Heron walking daintily on a hedge.

 White Heron pre-flight

Gator at the door!

 

At three o’clock in the morning I was awakened by a banging sound coming from the front of our house. I jumped out of bed to look out our glass front doors, thinking maybe someone’s tampering with our car in the driveway. Our dog usually barks when someone is around, but I noticed she’s looking (but not barking) out the dining room window towards the driveway too. It was a full moon and it is fairly bright outside but I didn’t see anyone, and apparently, neither did the dog, when all of a sudden the glass doors- right in front of me- shook hard as if someone WAS standing there and trying to get in!

I ran to the bedroom.

“There’s something trying to get in our house!” I screamed at my husband.

“Something or someone?” he skeptically replied.

“I don’t know! There’s no one there! But something banged on the front door and I was standing right there and there’s no one there!” I stammered.

(Footnote: My husband is painfully aware that I leave room for the possibility that ghosts exist, so I am sure that he was quite amused and was not in any hurry to investigate at this point.)

I ran back to the door and a movement caught my eye.

“Don’t open the door and don’t turn the light on...!” I call out to my husband. “I’m getting the kids!”

In a flash, I was across the house, grabbed my two sleeping teenagers by the scruffs of their necks, and quickly dragged them back to the front door.

“Look!!” I tell them and turn on the porch light.

What my kids did next nearly amazed me as much as what we saw! (now remember, both kids- sound asleep, abruptly awakened and quickly dragged across the house half asleep)

Both kids immediately pulled out their cell phones!! ....... and that’s how we were able to get the picture “gator at the door”!

 

 

 

This photo was taken a few years ago. It is possible that this is the same gator that I have been photographing lately.

Say "CHEESE!"

Show me those pearly whites!!

I love it when they smile for my camera!

This guy certainly is enjoying his afternoon nap in my backyard!

Hoki Poki Hawk

This little guy is really determined to learn this dance and even takes a bow at the end!

Heron vs. Gator

and the answer to your question is......."nope!"