Grey Heron

I know this is cheating, but having not taken a camera out with me for the last two evening and spotted a Grey Heron fishing and flying off in a huff, not more than twenty feet away, down on the Nuneaton Flood Relief Channel has been perplexing. Therefore I am reduced to this still from my Chirp! application on my iPhone.

Grey Herons use a variety of harsh calls at the nesting site. However the most distinctive sound s a harsh croak, which is given in flight. If you are tuned into this call that sounds like “fraaank” then it is unmistakable for any other bird. While I was in the Isle of Wight myself and another guest saw three flying overhead, all “fraaanking” at the same time, now that was distinctive, because it is unusual to see so many herons flying together since they are more often than not singular birds.

I have found over the years that herons are extremely difficult to photograph, because they always seem to be on the far side of every lake I have walk by, or they are hidden to well be foliage and just when you see them, they are taking off in fright, because I have disturbed them while feeding. This was the case this evening and the previous evening too! Hence this copied image of a Grey Heron.