Grey Heron

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Water, the restaurant, Grey Heron, the guest...

Sometimes the Grey Heron comes into my garden, stealthy like a thief in the night. It's usually in the early morning hours when the occupants of the house are still sound asleep. The bird may be a big one (almost an entire meter!), it moves so cautiously, that it's not noted by the wildlife in my pond. And it's that wildlife it's after: my fish, frogs and salamanders! A good remedy though is to surround your pond with a thin line of fishing-line. The bird cannot see it and so it's very scared when it suddenly feels it!

...the frog, the menu

This bird belongs to the family of Herons (Ardeidae). It has been an infrequent visitor to our garden. Because of the sneaky way it enters the garden, it possibly is a frequent visitor actually. The bird is a resident in Holland. The bird is 37" and weighs 950 grams. It lives in meadows, rivers, lakes and marshes mostly. It eats fish, frogs, moles and insects. The sexes do not differ from one another. The birds make their nest in trees, usually in a colony. The same trees are used for years on end. The dung of the Herons cause many trees to die. In the nest three or four, seldom five, eggs are laid. The birds breed them for no less than 1 month. After hatching the chicks have to be looked after for some 53 days.

Name of this bird in various other languages
Dutch	German	French	Polish	Scientific
Blauwe reiger	Graureiher	Héron cendré	Czapla siwa	Ardea cinerea