Junior is growing up Grey Heron style

We are lucky to live on parkland that has a small heronry and we pass this on our regular daily walks;   I haven't photographed them really since they hatched and were in the first week or two of growing so decided to take the camera with me and was lucky enough to get a clear spot where one juvenile was showing well and losing that slightly dinosaur lQQk     !!

think its practicing for Halloween in this next pic    LOL 

Bit of a shaky video clip as I didn't have a tripod with me and was on full zoom but will add it in case you want to view .....

  • Good to see the young Heron, a bit gangly looking! How long will it be in the trees before fledging?
  • Thanks Catlady,

    Lynn L said:
    How long will it be in the trees before fledging?

    These heron chicks hatched at different times so this was a slightly later chick and they take around 7 weeks to fledge so any day now !! 

  • Great pics Hazy, love the video too, what a character that one is, so gangly and sort of out of this worldy, who would believe that it will grow up into a deadly accurate catcher of fish.
  • gaynorsl said:
    who would believe that it will grow up into a deadly accurate catcher of fish.

    not just fish ........... they are rather partial to ducklings too   :(     !!     they'll eat voles, shrews, frogs, lizards, etc......    quite a diverse range of foods.       I can't help but love G.Herons even though they took the mallard ducklings from our water garden :( 

  • Brilliant photos and video Hazel, both Mrs PR and myself enjoyed the video. As for not having the tripod to record the youngster, you did very well with so little shaking. Me, I'd be all over the place, so I take my hat off to you.

    I guess its time for me to make another visit to Middleton Lakes, and snoop out any young herons there with the camera.