YOU know that feeling when you fancy a fish supper.

That must have been what happening to this hungry heron which was caught on camera near Ringwood snapping up and devouring its dinner.

It was a big fish and repeatedly thrashed its body from side to side in a desperate bid to escape.

But trapped in the beak of a hungry heron it stood no chance of survival – and appears to have been swallowed whole.

The amazing photograph of the deadly encounter was taken by Southampton wildlife photographer John Scamell, who often witnesses nature in the raw.

Earlier this year he snapped away as a seal consumed a tasty snack in full view of people living in a block of waterside apartments.

The marine mammal was swimming up the River Itchen in Southampton when it spotted the perfect meal and wasted no time in satisfying its hunger.

Mr Scamell photographed the seal from the balcony of his third floor flat in Priory Avenue.

The 63-year-old paying one of his monthly visits to Blashford Lakes when a grey heron swooped into full and started looking for its next meal.

Mr Scamell had been sitting in a hide for about half-an-hour when the heron landed beside a small pond and began stalking its prey.

“The bird was just waiting for the right moment,” he said.

“Eventually he caught the fish and spent several minutes playing with it before placing it on its side and stabbing it with his beak.

“It was quite a big fish and put up a bit of a fight at first, repeatedly flapping its tail.

“Obviously it didn’t want to be eaten – but at the end of the day it was no contest.”

Often found near water, including lakes, rivers and garden ponds, grey heron also circle high above the ground and can be mistaken for large birds of prey.

They eat large quantities of fish but also like small birds such as ducklings, small mammals and amphibians.

At harvesting time they are sometimes seen in fields, looking for rodents.