Most regal of birds stands tall
ONE of my favourite things when I am out walking is when I see a heron by a river or lake.
You do tend to get a little blasé about herons when you work in nature reserves – we get lots at Brockholes, Wigan Flashes and Lunt Meadows.
However, they can still take you by surprise, like the one I saw through a gap in woodland standing over a local pond. I watched, it watched me back for a couple of seconds, and then I wandered off. It was probably there for some minutes longer.
Often I will come across a heron on the river, disturbing the poor thing so it has to raise those giant wings and take off.
Instead of flapping in a semi-circle to end up behind me, it will just move up the river a bit, and then we go through the whole process again and again.
Herons are regallooking birds, proudly standing tall and looking over their domains. They are actually keeping a close eye on fish in their particular ponds.
Seeing a heron has a real ‘wow’ factor, they can be a metre tall with a two-metre wingspan.
They are really magnificent birds when they take flight and there is something primeval about them as they flap over the motorway on their way to a better fishing site.
Herons do feed mainly on small fish but they can eat small mammals, even moles. They will also eat small waterbirds and crayfish. They hunt by standing dead still and then grabbing their prey with their long, spear-like beaks.
The heron is grey on its back with a white body and neck, a bright yellow beak and a black eyestripe. When it flies its long neck is pulled into its body.
It has a couple of cousins, which visit our region – the bittern, the great white egret, the cattle egret and the little egret. Bird watchers get very excited when the extended family gets together.
Indian folklore says it’s good news when a heron lands on your house, less good news when you have fish pond. But what a great thing to have in your garden, a wonderful metre-long bird.
I will be looking forward to more heron spotting on my local river bank or on the local lodge. These are moments we can cherish, when we come nose to beak with wonderful wildlife.
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is dedicated to the protection and promotion of the wildlife in Lancashire, seven boroughs of Greater Manchester and four of Merseyside, all lying north of the River Mersey. It manages around 40 nature reserves and 20 local nature reserves covering acres of woodland, wetland, upland and meadow. The trust has 29,000 members, and more than 1,200 volunteers.
To become a member of the trust, go to the website at lancswt.org. uk or call 01772 324129. For more information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust, call 01948 820728 or go to cheshire wildlifetrust.org.uk.