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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Birds - Herons, Egret & Snipe Page 1
Image Taken on 14 May 2018
at 15:02 Image of day on 29 Jun 2018
We think that this is our first sighting of a Great White Egret, but our two
experts are not sure based only on the photo without any notion of size. The
bird had none of the grace of the Little Egret and was flying much faster and
more powerfully than we would expect to see in a Little Egret. The feet appear
dark - Little Egrets have yellow feet, but they can become smothered in mud.
 egret in flight (1st sighting) 2 of 3 (crop for id)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20180629_df3_20180514_1502_235 great white (q) egret in flight (1st sighting) 2 of 3 (crop for id)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 14 May 2018
at 15:02 Image of day on 29 Jun 2018
2 frames about 140mS apart show that what we think is a Great White Egret was
flying fast, even though it did have a tailwind.
 egret in flight (1st sighting) 2+3 of 3 (accurate montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20180629_df3_20180514_1502_235+236 great white (q) egret in flight (1st sighting) 2+3 of 3 (accurate montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Apr 2026
at 07:40 Image of day on 13 May 2026
Next day the Duck Pond receives the Heron's attention - no fish here
but alive with invertebrates (slugs, snails, insect larvae etc.)
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20260513_bu8_20260407_0740_110+0743_113+0744_117 grey heron at duck pond 01+04+08 of 12 (accurate montage ofer 5 mins)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Apr 2026
at 07:44 Image of day on 13 May 2026
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20260513_bu8_20260407_0744_116 grey heron at duck pond 07 of 12 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Apr 2026
at 11:54 Image of day on 13 May 2026
This Heron is hunting in the round pond.
We doubt that the hunt is productive - there are no fish (that we know of) in any pond.
(r+mb id@432).jpg)
Ref: 20260513_bu5_20260406_1154_042_sc1 grey heron in edge of round pond 3 of 3 (crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 04 May 2023
at 07:42 Image of day on 21 Jun 2023
At the other end of the size scale, we get another visit by a Heron to the Duck
Pond - this time only this one frame contains the whole bird.
.jpg)
Ref: 20230621_bu8_20230504_0742_004 heron(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Mar 2009
at 07:42 Image of day on 17 Apr 2009
This heron arrived outside the kitchen window so we grabbed a camera and
took a few pics in the awkward light and through the double glazing.
We are not sure what the newt is, but from the size suspect Great Crested Newt
which have been positively confirmed in this pond.
.jpg)
Ref: 20090417_db1_20090327_0742_019 heron at dragon pond eating newt(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 11 Mar 2011
at 11:13 Image of day on 15 Apr 2011
This juvenile heron spent a few minutes at a pond in the
late morning, It's usual prey at this pond is Smooth &
Great Crested Newts, and the odd frog, but we didn't see it catch anything.
We haven't spotted a single frog this year in any pond, and there
are only about 10 clumps of spawn in just one (not this) pond.
.jpg)
Ref: 20110415_d01_20110311_1113_003 juvenile heron at duck pond(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Apr 2010
at 17:52 Image of day on 26 May 2010
A heron down to some serious newt hunting. What a huge bird for
such tiny helpless prey wrapped round the end of it's beak.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20100526_d01_20100423_1752_215 heron at duck pond catching newt in flurry of wings 09 of 14 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Apr 2010
at 17:58 Image of day on 29 May 2010
Gotcha! (subsequent frames not included here showed he caught a newt)
 1 of 7 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20100529_d01_20100423_1758_289 heron at duck pond catching newt in with water splash (selected frames) 1 of 7 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 30 May 2008
at 10:34 Image of day on 08 Jun 2008
On a grander scale to yesterdays Blackbird and grub, a heron took
a few newts from the duck-shaped pond - this one at least being
the protected 'Great Crested' newt (which is the dominant
species on our patch).
.jpg)
Ref: 20080608_d01_20080530_1034_006 heron at duck pond eating great crested newt(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Mar 2009
at 07:44 Image of day on 17 Apr 2009
A portrait of the 'culprit' taken a couple of minutes later.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090417_db1_20090327_0744_031 heron at front of dragon pond (crop 3)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Mar 2008
at 13:58 Image of day on 02 Apr 2008
The image you see is a heron that has just caught a pair of
mating frogs.
If that is gruesome enough for you stop here!
The bird couldn't swallow the linked pair, so repeatedly threw
them back into the water to separate them, and then ate one. We
didn't find any remains of the other and assume it survived. A day
or so later we spotted spawn in the area - maybe success in their final act.
An animated sequence of 15 images is at
Heron Eating Frog Sequence.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20080402_d01_20080306_1358_129 heron catches mating frogs (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Mar 2009
at 14:45 Image of day on 14 Apr 2009
A heron visiting Round pond has been feasting on frogs and a few
newts. Here is a moment from one of the sequences that is clear
but not too upsetting.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090414_dc1_20090320_1445_485 heron catching & eating frog at round pond 51 of 66 (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Nov 2011
at 12:51 Image of day on 03 Jan 2012
Although this heron has been mostly catching worms in the meadow,
here it has caught a fieldmouse (wood mouse) incautiously out in daylight. It
caught it at the edge of long grass along with a lot of dead
grass, shook it about obviously still very much alive, turned it
round (last frame we show), then crushed it in the beak and
swallowed it. The last few images might upset some of you, so we
have stopped before it becomes more graphic. They are available
on request as usual.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20120103_d01_20111130_1251_197+204+_1252_219 heron catching & swallowing live fieldmouse (wood mouse) 28+35+50 of 64 (mixed scale montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 11 May 2014
at 14:51 Image of day on 12 Jul 2014
This year a heron has been finding Newts in the pond near the
house, we think not Great Crested Newts this time. With care not to
move suddenly or into the light we can photograph this through
the Kitchen window
 16 of 35 (crop)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20140712_df2_20140511_1451_168 heron catching & swallowing newt in main pond and flying off (selected) 16 of 35 (crop)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 11 May 2014
at 14:51 Image of day on 12 Jul 2014
The Newt now 'Down the hatch', is the bird now licking 'his chops' in satisfaction?
 29 of 35 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20140712_df2_20140511_1451_214 heron catching & swallowing newt in main pond and flying off (selected) 29 of 35 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Apr 2008
at 15:40 Image of day on 03 May 2008
This mature heron spent about 45 minutes catching at least 15 newts
(mostly the protected great-crested!) at the duck shaped pond.
Here is a sequence of one such taken over about 1 minute.
(1) Grab from water, (2 & 3) manoeuvre head first, (4 & 5) down it goes.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20080503_d01_20080417_1540_283-324 heron catching and swallowing newt (montage of 5)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Apr 2017
at 18:54 Image of day on 15 Jun 2017
The Heron was exploring the rough grass, occasionally picking some small morsels
we just couldn't see. But here we could definitely see what the bird caught - a
Vole (probably a Bank Vole judging by it's tail length) which it tossed about a
bit and then swallowed whole.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20170615_df2_20170425_1854_056-084 heron catching and swallowing vole 04+09+13+16+18 of 23 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Mar 2010
at 11:24 Image of day on 04 May 2010
We have no idea how many Newts we have in this pond, but it must
be hundreds to stand the annual predation by herons. In 6 minutes
this one heron took at least 3 and we don't know how long he had
been there before we noticed it. It worked along the back edge
right to left as viewed here dispatching newts with obvious
skill.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20100504_d01_20100330_1124_114 heron catching great crested newt 06 of 11 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
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