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05/04/2024 At BBSP (which was celebrating its 40-year anniversary). I heard a Heron squawking just West of the Spillway Bridge, in Pilant Lake. I found a
Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias), and saw that it was being harassed by a Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)! I filmed video, because--well, drama was
happening. The Blackbird left, then came back, perched on various plants, and flew at the the Heron. The Heron ducked, while the Blackbird sometimes came very close. 
Edited video of the event is here.
    

It was over quickly.  The Blackbird flew away and didn't return, and then the Heron also took off. I couldn't tell if there was a nest or babies around, so have no idea what
angered the Blackbird. While I watched, I wondered if the Heron would take the Blackbird out of the air. I've seen Great Blue Herons demonstrate their speed and accuracy
 many times. I've seen them stab dragonflies, even out of the air (I've added a clip from 2022 that shows this to the end of the new video). 

While growing up in the Northeast U.S., I'd found the newts many times, and had kept them briefly. I'd also found Red Efts up there, and in that environment I'd found them
nearly the size of adult newts, and VERY bright orange.  I had learned that the Eft stage was toxic, and the orange was a "warning" color (this is called "aposematic" coloration).
Here's an study:
"Chemical Defense of the Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens): Variation in Efficiency against Different Consumers and in Different Habitats" by Zachary H. Marion, Mark E. Hay.
If you'd like to read it, here's an open-source link(my favorite kind):  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3229496/

From this study (notes in [[double brackets]] are just my own comments):

1) "Like Taricha newts, the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) is assumed to deter predators by secreting TTX, with all life-history stages reportedly unpalatable to a variety of vertebrate
and invertebrate predators. "  [[ TTX=tetrodotoxin. They are toxic at *all* stages!?!? ]]

2) "The lack of rigorous research on the chemically-mediated predator-prey interactions involving Notophthalmus viridescens is surprising given that eastern newts are thought of as keystone
predators that regulate the diversity and abundance of larval anurans, aquatic invertebrates, and the ecosystem functions of some freshwater environments." [[ *Keystone predators*!?  This little
amphibian? What a great example of how much a single organism can affect pond life. ]]

3) "The eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens Rafinesque, Salamandridae) is one of the most widely distributed salamanders in North America and occupies lentic environments
across the spectrum from temporary to permanent water bodies."  [[  Where I come from, I knew them as "Red-Spotted Newt", but they're the same species. ]]

4)  " Notophthalmus viridescens secrete tetrodotoxin (TTX) which could serve as a chemical defense against predators. Concentrations of TTX are greatest in the red eft stage,
followed by adults, eggs, and finally larvae."  [[ As stated above, TTX is in all stages, although greatest in the red eft stage (which has the warning colors). ]]

5) " To assess newt palatability to co-occurring consumers, we used adult largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides; 15–20 cm standard length [SL]), juvenile bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus; 2–4 cm
SL), the crayfish Procambarus clarkii (9–12 cm total length), and adult bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus; 12.5–18 cm snout-vent length)."  [[ The list of predators that they used are all inhabitants at BBSP also.
The crayfish is our big Red Swamp Crawfish. It is native here, and the same species that is cultivated and served in restaurants. ]]

6) "Here we show that eastern newts, their early ontogeny, and especially their dorsal skin areas are distasteful to common aquatic consumers such as fish and crayfish, that fish avoid newts due
 to chemical deterrents, and that the compound TTX can produce this response at small portions of its reported natural concentrations. Yet some consumers, such as bullfrogs and possibly
other reptiles and amphibians, appear undeterred by TTX." (page 6)

7) "Our results show that the newt Notophthalmus viridescens is unpalatable to fishes and a crayfish, and that this unpalatability is chemical in nature, is concentrated in exterior dorsal skin, and is
likely due to TTX or related secondary metabolites. However, this chemical defense is ineffective against bullfrogs (and possibly turtles), allowing considerable consumption of tethered newts in
the field." (page 7)

From my observation here, I can add Great Blue Herons to the list of predators that eat Newts.  The last two images below show that the Newt was swallowed (its head is
visible in image #3), and it was gone after image #4 and the images that followed (not shown here).  It does make me wonder if the TTX has any effect on the Herons
after they've eaten a newt. I have seen other wading birds catch newts but it has been a very rare observation, and I have never been able to capture it on film before.
   

Here's an Eastern Newt, Notophthalmus viridescens, that we caught at during a Pond Life Program a few weeks later, on 03/24/2024 .
   

On 01/15/2023  I was at BBSP, and it was an interesting day.  First, about 9:30am, this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) caught a Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia) out of Pilant Slough near
the Spillway Trail. I've seen many GB Herons capture sirens many times. Here in BBSP my experience leads me to believe that whenever I see a GB Heron with long, thick, dark prey--I 
assume that it's caught a Lesser Siren. Sirens are  amphibians, described as salamanders that only have 2 front legs(missing the rear legs), and external gills. Some of these images show 
the Siren's short front legs.  The row of vertical grooves on the Siren's side (costal grooves) are also visible. The wet exterior, thick body, flattened tail, and the costal grooves help identify the
prey as a siren from a distance. If one is closer then the two short front legs can sometimes be seen; and a combination of these elements help distinguish it from a snake or an eel.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From BBSP on 02/06/2022. We've got Bobcats in the park, and Coyotes, and Otters, and Alligators! So what could some toothless critter do? HOLY COW!
When the day started, it was about 42 deg F at 40-Acre lake at 8:10am.  Throughout the day, I had the usual array of encounters with wonderful creatures. About 4pm I was moving
 West on the 40 Acre Lake trail when this Great Blue Heron caught a Lesser Siren just North of the trail. That's always an amazing sight and the visitors on the trail were impressed.
But then the Heron flew across the trail and landed on an island in 40 Acre Lake. The islands are about 30 yards away from the trail, so we could easily watch the end of the hunt.
I've been lucky enough to see this activity many times. For example,  just the last few times I've been able to photograph Herons capturing Sirens on 9/05/2021, 11/07/2021,
12/12/2021, 01/06/2022, and this day.  These images are all frame grabs from this edited video.  Imagine the strength in the Heron's body and neck that allowed it to carry that
struggling siren--while the Heron was flying!