Posting a hard to believe once in a lifetime shot on April Fools day. First off the camera info is misleading. I had to boost the shots in post +4 and crop heavily edit: iso was 100. The fish was about 965 pixels in height.
I was on my walk looking ahead to this location when I spotted this bird over 100 meters away through heavy brush. I reached a spot to shoot through just as the bird took off landing another 25 meters on. My shutter was at 180 so it was blurred but I knew it had something big in its bill. There was a fence between me and the bird so I had to quickly navigate through the brush along the fence to get closer. When I saw the bird was about to eat I stopped and started shooting. After I found a way under the fence another 30 meters down and managed to get in the clearing as it flew away.
Knowing the bill of this bird is close to 6" and the fish is 3x that, I put the fish at 18". That puts me at close to 50 meters away. It makes me wish I had the 150-400mm lens but having a smaller lighter lens to run through the brush might have been the only way to get this shot.

[Kiddo70]

Definitely worth the effort. Once in a lifetime shot.

[MikeNArk]

Excellent series of photos. Opportunities for photos like these don't arise everyday. Great work.

[swanlefitte]

Thanks Kiddo70, MikeNArk

[mroeder75]

Wow. It is a great series. How could that bird even fly?

[swanlefitte]

Wow. It is a great series. How could that bird even fly?

I wonder about that. They weigh up to 5.5 pounds. A 18" pike is about 3.

[brewmaster15]

Great capture! Right place Right time. Im always amazed by herons and egrets ability to swallow massive food items. I have a pic somewhere of an Egret swallowing a large Rat.. Ive also had the unfortunate experience of having them clean out my koi pond a few years ago.

Great series.
Al