![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Weasel1-26.jpg\")
<\/a>A female long-tailed weasel heads back to her nest near Market Lake with a rodent for her babes\u2019 dinner. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com <\/p>\nAfter that excitement, a tern finally showed up. I watched as the bird made four successful dives into the water to collect its evening meal of tasty little fish, and then missed a fifth one. <\/p>\n
Three more terns soon joined it in catching their minnow meals. <\/p>\n
It is always fun to watch these Forster terns, or even the larger Caspian terns, searching for small fish by cruising around a body of water. When they see something, they sally through the air before going into a dive.<\/p>\n
As the terns were busy fishing, a great blue heron came in, walking the opposite bank, making three consecutive captures for its dinner. <\/p>\n In the canal, the heron would wade deep enough for the water to reach its body. Then it would stretch out its neck and plunge its dagger-like bill downward to grab a hapless fish. Once caught, the bird would position the wiggling fish so it could be easily swallowed headfirst.<\/p>\n A few ducks, geese and songbirds kept me entertained while I moved back near the weasel nest to watch for the little family to come out again, but they did not show. They were probably all sleeping on full stomachs. <\/p>\n While I was there, an American bittern flew in \u2014 the first of the season. <\/p>\n<\/a>A Forster\u2019s tern sallies as it gets ready to dive for a fish at Market Lake in Jefferson County. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com <\/p>\n<\/a>A great blue heron captures a small fish for dinner at Market Lake in Jefferson County. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com <\/a>A great blue heron positions a fish it just caught to swallow it headfirst, at Market Lake in Jefferson County. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com <\/p>\n