Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) on the Wharf in Cardiff Bay, November 20, 2018
There was a pleasant surprise on my monthly walk around the Wharf (former East Bute Dock) in Cardiff Bay this week. It was a very cold day with watery sunshine breaking through.
As I walked along the far side from my offices in County Hall I saw this grey heron (Ardea cinerea) quietly standing on the edge of a nesting platform provided for the wildfowl. The Wharf is full of carp and other fish, so this is a good place for a heron.
I started taking pictures from quite a long way off but was delighted that as I drew near the heron was quite happy to stay there. In fact it was still there when I later looked across from the other side of the Wharf.
First sight of the grey heron…
…a close-up showing the wonderful golden eye
Previously I had often seen herons on the banks of the River Taff, both in Cardiff and higher up on the way to Pontypridd. Once I also saw one on my neighbour’s roof here in the centre of Cardiff.
The heron kept an eye on me as I walked behind it – it was standing on one leg
The grey heron lives in Britain all year round and as well as fish it can eat ducklings, amphibians and even small rodents in farmers’ fields after the harvest.
According to the RSPB 63,000 grey herons stay in Britain through the winter months and in summer there are 13,000 breeding nests.
The heron family belongs to the order Pelecaniformes, along with pelicans, ibises and spoonbills, egrets and bitterns, the shoebill and the hamerkop.
The shady side of the heron…
…that beak really is a lethal weapon against fish!
These pictures do not reflect my usual sightings of grey herons. More often I see one standing on the riverbank with its neck extended, or in flight with a distinctive kink in its S-shaped neck. Here are a couple of images showing this but they are not my own pictures so please click on them to go to the source.
Grey heron illustration from the RSPB page
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Heron in flight by David Blaikie on Wikimedia Commons
For more information about the grey heron visit these sites:
They always make me feel so sad for them, because they look so forlorn. Those are very good shots.
I hadn’t thought of them as sad – more “laid back” or perhaps wise like a wizard figure…
All the best 🙂
Great shots of the Heron here. I did not know they were related to penguins. Thanks for the info. I think all birds look sad during the winter months. Hope all is well with you. On a different subject did you know a very important chariot has been found in Pembroke nr Castle Henlly. Have a good weekend.
Rita – herons aren’t related to penguins, beyond both being birds. There are some surprising relationships in the Tree of life: elephant and hyrax, swifts and hummingbirds. But Penguins and Herons are not one of them,
Yes I realized that after I had posted it Paul. I misread it.
I suppose it’s the cold weather and the stillness that makes them look sad and thoughtful.
Yes I had heard about the chariot – and you have just reminded me to share it on Twitter
– one of the versions of the story is on the BBC here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46294000
I must also Tweet your latest pottery article (love the Majolica).
All the best 🙂
Wow, Pat, I thought you were only interested in the trees the birds perch on now! Nice to see an avian post again…
Always interested in birds – I just don’t see enough of them posing for me now, apart from beside County Hall – and I know all the birds in our own garden so tend to ignore them in terms of photography.
All the best 🙂