Geograph - photograph every grid square

The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a large bird, standing up to a metre in height and with a wingspan of up to two metres. They are very distinctive in appearance; tall, long-legged predatory wading birds with a long, sharp, pointed beak and grey, black and white feathering. They can stand with their neck stretched out, looking for food, or hunched down with their neck bent over their chest. Sometimes, grey herons circle high up into the sky and can be mistaken for large birds of prey.

Grey herons are wetland birds resident throughout the UK around any kind of water; garden ponds, marshes, lakes, rivers and even on estuaries. They can be spotted at any time of year as UK grey herons do not migrate.

Herons feed mainly on fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects which are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. They have also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and small mammals like voles. After harvesting, grey herons can sometimes be seen in fields, looking for rodents.

Link RSPB