Herons

**Scunner** · 25-Feb-07, 17:06

Noticed a pair of Herons today, a few miles inland. Quite a sight

**nirofo** · 25-Feb-07, 18:15

Originally Posted by Scunner

Noticed a pair of Herons today, a few miles inland. Quite a sight

There's quite a few Grey herons in Caithness with several well known Heronries dotted about. Here's a photo of a heron fishing.

nirofo.

**catherine nicol** · 26-Feb-07, 22:33

Originally Posted by nirofo

There's quite a few Grey herons in Caithness with several well known Heronries dotted about. Here's a photo of a heron fishing.

nirofo.

Is there any birding subject that we can talk about that you don't have a photo of? You must have hundreds of wonderful pictures tucked away just waiting for the right thread to start.............what a talent.

You are obviously retired and out day and night with your camera. I can only dream of such a time in life (well that and buy lottery tickets every week !)

Thanks for sharing your pics.

**Kenn** · 27-Feb-07, 23:43

I was watching a programme on BBC2 tonight where the presenter was doing a heron count.
He emphasised that herons are early breeders and are also easily disturbed resulting in the chick being deserted, his advice if you want to observe a heronry do so from some distance with a pair of binoculars to avoid any harm.
Point of interest when do they start breeding in the far north? Can be as early as February on the south coast.

**nirofo** · 28-Feb-07, 03:37

Originally Posted by LIZZ

I was watching a programme on BBC2 tonight where the presenter was doing a heron count.
He emphasised that herons are early breeders and are also easily disturbed resulting in the chick being deserted, his advice if you want to observe a heronry do so from some distance with a pair of binoculars to avoid any harm.
Point of interest when do they start breeding in the far north? Can be as early as February on the south coast.

They should be starting about now in Caithness and Sutherland. Some years there are birds still laying eggs well into June, which means there will still be young in the nest as late as August. Visits to the Heronry site early in the breeding cycle can result in the birds deserting their nests! If you know a site, don't go near it until you know the young will be well grown, even then it's advisable to go nowhere near. As Lizz says, if you must watch the birds view them from a good distance, preferably via a telescope at long range.

nirofo.