Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

There are two local heronries in the local area so the heron that visits Charlotte's Pool is probably based at one of those.

For around three months of the year from February these distinctive-looking birds, with their crests, dagger bills and stilt-like legs come together to breed. A heronry is somewhere herons have nested for many generations and on certain Wildlife Trust reserves it’s possible to catch a rare glimpse of up to 40 nests teetering in the tree-tops at any one time. Nigel Barnes who writes The Deer Diaries blog reckons there are about three nests at one of the Saddleworth sites.

The heron that visits Charlotte's pool will sometimes just use the tallest conifer tree as a vantage, or resting point, and can usually be assured of a good snack of a frog or two from the pool.

Do heron's swim?

After seeing the cormorant at Charlotte's pool happily take to the water, I was curious to know if heron's swim as well. I've only ever seen them stood in or by the water's edge. The jury's out

#heron #heronries