Frog on the menu

By Aaron Horrell

It does not matter whether or not we love the little bullfrog more than the great white egret. Mother Nature has Her way, and we have no say in Her notion of right or wrong. I sometimes wonder about my place within the natural world when I am out with my camera. It is true that I could have stood up, waved my arms or yelled at the great white egret. I could have frightened it away moments before it speared the frog. Had I done so, the frog surely would have survived to enjoy another day.

I could not see the little frog from my vantage point as I watched the egret slowly making its way along a shallow pool that was covered by green duckweed. The egret waded in 6 inches of water. I snapped photos of it as it stopped midstep and stretched out its neck slowly toward the water. A sudden strike of its head hitting the water and going under produced the frog it is holding in its beak.

Sadness for the frog chilled me, but I knew the egret must eat in order to live. The frog surely had preyed upon numerous insects in its life, and now it had itself become prey for the egret.

It is good to know that there are many different kinds of animals in our Southeast Missouri ecosystem. We are blessed with beauty of all kinds. The egret is beautiful. It was not being bad nor did the frog want to be eaten, but Mother Nature dictates that in order to survive all her creatures must eat. I love both the frog and the egret.