A pair of Grey Herons spotted at Titchfield Haven, these large gangly birds have quite a character and remind me of a prehistoric creature from the times of the dinosaurs.
Length:90-98cm Wingspan:175-195cm Weight:1.5-2kg
According to the RSPB, some 13000 birds nest in the UK each year, their numbers increase in the winter months to 63,000 birds (October to March).
Herons nest in colonies called ‘Heronries’. In the top of trees, they make large nests out of twigs. They lay 3-4 eggs. The young birds will fledge after about 8 weeks.
Continued Reflections from my World. 
Lovely adult Grey Heron in breeding plumage! Well done.
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Great captures! Looks as if it was a grey and windy day.
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Very much so, so dull this time of year.
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I used to live in a place where there was a large off-leash dog park alongside a slough. Blue herons nested high in the trees near the slough, unperturbed by the noisy dogs. I was always amazed that such a large bird could build and maintain a nest so high in a tree where the branches don’t seem that sturdy.
Amazing birds. Great photos, Andy. And I learned a new word: heronries. Perfect!
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Heronries are amazing to watch – I know of one in the New Forest and I also could not see how these nests stay up in the treetops especially when bending in the wind with a pair of large birds and chick sitting on them. They look like a “wing and a prayer” in the Heron world.
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