Good Value Birds

Nature is wild and varied, it ranges from the small or insignificant to the large or magnificent, but within this variety, it could be said that some are better value for money than others. These species give you rewarding views and behaviour for very little effort. No need for expensive gear or exotic locations they give you the very best bang for your buck.  Garden birds such as Robins, Blackbirds, and Blue Tits are obvious candidates and they do offer a lot, but for me, I think the best value bird is the Grey Heron.

A bird in its prime

 Herons are not especially rare but not seen often enough to make any sighting a special event Herons benefit from a combination of factors that make them ideal species to watch and understand most aspects of life.

 

One of the things that I feel makes herons so fascinating is their positively prehistoric appearance, you could throw a heron back in time to the Mesozoic and it would fit in fine. They. They evoke the primitive simplicity and subtle predatory instinct of a dinosaur. Herons alongside cormorants show a great though line in the evolution of dinosaurs into birds.

 

Although unwieldy and seemingly clumsy in flight there is something endearing in the way its broad wings flap lugubriously, the way the legs stick out backward, jutting out behind it, and the way it pulls its neck in tight to the body short, is nearly comical.

In Flight

As a species, they tend to be fairly comfortable around humans. Get too close and they will definitely take flight but keep a safe distance and they are more than happy to just ignore you and carry on with their day. Give them such a chance and they will show you its complete repertoire.

 

Despite what wildlife programs might make you think predation observing a successful kill is incredibly rare. The amazing and dramatic shots of a lion taking down a gazelle represent days and days of field time and patience camera work. Herons are a voracious species and will take a range of fish amphibians and small mammals with great relish. Watching a heron hunt is like viewing a masterclass. Its slow, stealthy deliberate steps are counterbalanced by its ability to stop stock still. A practiced watcher will soon pick up on the heron’s subtle skills. The way it cocks its head to enable it to see through the reflection of the water, the positioning of the dagger-like beak poised ready to strike.

Catching a vole

Just by watching the heron’s posture, you can tell at an instant the point it spots its prey. It becomes stiff and stock still, statuesque. If it does move to reposition it does so carefully slowly and with purpose.   Finally, its head may move side to side as it focuses and accounts for the refraction in the water and then it strikes with lightning speed.

Caught

Swallowing

Swallowed

Unlike other predators which often move to a new location to eat their prey, the heron will usually swallow it there and then or pad onto the backside. I had the fortune to spot a heron take a fish, a very large fish, one that it could barely carry. I was convinced that it had "Bitten off more than it could chew", a case of eyes bigger than its stomach. But to my amazement, it managed it, and with a great gulp, it swallowed it down headfirst. You will find most swallowing animals will swallow their prey headfirst.  It makes it easier to slide down, any spines and the fins of fish all point backward, and of course fish are streamlined. The heron in question managed its mammoth feat and looked very full, I could see the bulk of the fish moving down the gullet, what must that feel like? I think a subtle companion would be a human trying to swallow a cat!

You can find this consummate predator locally on ponds, rivers, and lakes and only watching for a short period of time will give you a great deal of delight and interest. Grey Herons are a top bird.