Someone has been reading our latest fishing blog!
Standing in the still morning sunshine under the weeping willow tree was a very experienced fisherman on our Oak Lake just outside reception.
Herons and Egrets are very patient fishing birds sitting motionless on the bank waiting for the prey to come into range.
The name for a collection of herons is Siege which aptly describes the way they hunt their prey.
Herons have long S-shaped necks that they retract when flying, making them unmistakable from other birds like storks, ibises, spoonbills, and cranes. They can surprisingly reach speeds of 30mph. The grey Heron can have a wingspan of up to 3m, although they are extremely light.
Herons nest mostly in trees at least 25m off the ground but on occasion, they can be found nesting on cliffs, bushes, and bridges. They are sociable birds, and some heronries can reach up to 200 nests with a single tree holding up to 10 nests. Herons nest early from February to late March; they are on the increase due to the mild winters making ponds and streams accessible all year round, giving them easy access to food all year round.
This is good news for garden ponds as when other natural feeding grounds are frozen such as ponds, lakes and streams they can be found laying siege in rural areas. The only effective method of keeping them out is netting the pond, using a plastic decoy encourages them rather than frightening them away.
