AN AMATEUR photographer has captured amazing images of a bird of prey swallowing an entire pike whole.
John Moffat snapped the incredible pictures at Linlithgow Loch, East Lothian, last month showing the mighty cormorant guzzling down the fish with ease.
One image shows the cormorant floating in the water with its beak holding the fish upside down by its head.
Another image shows the bird of prey as it tosses its head back lifting the fish’s tail into the sky as it prepares to swallow the helpless pike.
The cormorant can then be seen hoisting the fish into the air as it begins to consume the pike with its long brown and orange beak.
The final snap shows the majestic bird with its back turned to the camera ruthlessly swallowing the pike whole, with only its tail left on show.
John, 63, from Edinburgh, shared the images on Facebook last month, writing: “Pike fishing on Linlithgow Loch.”
The post has received over 100 likes and had dozens of comments from social media users who loved the snaps.
Alistair Graham said: “Great capture.
“How the heck does it take off after eating a fish that size?”
Pauline Bell said: “Amazing set of photos.”
Peter Buchanan said: “Well caught, did it seem to kill the pike before swallowing?”
To which John replied: “I didn’t see, Peter I was too far away.”
Jenny Arnott said: “Wow, what a catch for both of you.”
Jonathan David added: “Can’t work out what I’m looking at here.
“A fish eating a bird or vice versa?”
Speaking today, John said: “I was about 100 metres away.
“I clocked and must have taken about 12 photos, some were out of focus.
“I had been there most of the day.
“I was quite chuffed with the photo, but at the same time I was a bit hacked off because it chased off a Great Crested Breast that I wanted to get a picture of.”
Cormorants can be seen all year round but in the winter their population massively increases.
Their population in the winter time in Scotland is estimated at 35,000.
