Mongo had photographed daters many times. However, until Mongo photographed this particular series, he had simply assumed that daters were called that because of the dart-like shape of their beaks. He also assumed they caught their food (usually small fish) “in their beaks” instead of “with their beaks”. The difference will become more obvious further below below. Mongo was wrong on both counts.
One of the wonderful things about photographing wildlife (apart from the odd decent photo you might be lucky enough to get) , is what you can discover and learn by simple observation. Mongo has always believed and said that, “observation can be a very great teacher” (even if it sometimes also teaches you what NOT to do). This series proved to be a good example of that.
#1 image shows the darter newly surfaced from fishing underwater. A close look will tell you that the fish it is holding is actually “skewered” on its top beak and not held between its upper and lower beak as we might have thought.
Skewering your food is a great trick but how do you then un-skewer it (with no hands or other physically available objects to help you ?). Well, if you are a resourceful and knowledgeable darter you instantly think ……physics, of course !!
#2 shows the darter using the base of its long neck to act as the fulcrum. It then swings its long neck in a circular arch from water level into the air. Thus, at just the right speed, it creates the right amount of centrifugal force to dislodge the fish into the air and start to fall directly towards the darter’s mouth. The darter must be doing some calculations to do this well (albeit, subconsciously/automatically). It is no different to someone feeling the weight of a basketball and judging the distance to the hoop and working out (at the back of their mind) the force and direction deeded. A close look a the fish shows the hole where the beak used to be.
#3 shows the final reward of the above exercise as it manoeuvres the bulging fish down its slender throat.
#4 is just another normal aspect of its life. It too involves physics.
Mongo found observation of this elegant bird’s behaviour fascinating and enlightening. He hopes it may have been of interest to you.
D800E and AFS II 600 f4
