The Many Faces of the Grey Heron
Grey herons are like birds with multiple personalities, I’ve come to realize…
The Clumsy Heron
There’s the clumsy version. The one that takes off in such a chaotic way, it only just misses a group of cyclists by sheer luck.
The Flasher
You know this one: standing in a bush, wings awkwardly spread like a guy in a trench coat. For no apparent reason.
The Genius Heron
They don’t exactly look intelligent. But they are! Did you know herons use bait to hunt? They even use bread to lure fish! Yes, technically that’s a green heron, as seen here, but if the green one can do it, I’m sure a grey one can too. When no one’s watching.
The Hated Heron
This one used to visit my pond regularly, back when there were still fish. I’d run outside, yelling, to chase him off. He’d just move five meters and perch on a lamppost:
“I’ve got all day… what about you?”
I haven’t seen him in years. Nor the fish, for that matter.
The Humorous Heron
They even have a sense of humor. I can’t prove it for the grey version yet, but his cousin – the black heron – certainly does.
Watch this.
The Dandy
With his sleek black quiff, he wouldn’t look out of place in a fashion magazine.
The Old Man Heron
They gather in little groups along the frozen ditches, shoulders hunched. You just know they’re mumbling about how “winters used to be real winters.”
The Angry Heron
SQUEEEEAK! That angry, offended screech you hear when someone dares to pass by, forcing the poor thing to move — a whole 20 meters!
The Supermodel Heron
As soon as I point my camera at this grey-looking bird, color appears. Pink, yellow, even orange — turning this so-called grey mouse into a radiant star.
With models, it’s not about looks, it’s charisma. You have to pop off the screen. And this one? The camera loves him. And so do I.
The Beloved Heron
If a bird earns its own page on my website, you know it’s love.
More herons and bitterns
