GREY HERON
TALL, STATELY, ELEGANT, deadly. Grey Herons are magnificent, patient, killing machines. They are mainly fish specialists, given a decent supply of prey, but are equally adept at gobbling up ducklings, small mammals and amphibians, given the opportunity.
But to concentrate on the heron’s diet somehow detracts from its beauty; and Grey Herons are undoubtedly handsome birds.
Also, despite being extremely widely distributed across the whole of the UK, including the islands, the Grey Heron is a surprisingly uncommon breeder in this country, with about 13,000 nesting pairs. Compare this, for instance, with breeding populations of some birds you possibly don’t see every day: there are 27,000 pairs of Shag, 50,000 pairs of Tawny Owl, 200,000 pairs of Tree Sparrow, or 260,000 pairs of Stock Dove.
Grey Herons nest…