Birds feasting on smallmouth bass

 

An osprey cruises over the Umpqua river with a freshly caught smallmouth bass in its talons near Elkton in southwestern Oregon on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. The fish eating raptor flew with its catch to a nearby nest and presented the fresh meal to its fledgling. 

A great blue heron catches a smallmouth bass along the Umpqua River near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. Smallmouth bass are not native to the Umpqua River and are a threat to native fish species in the river system.