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Early nesters get started on rearing their young Early nesters get started on rearing their young
(6 months later)
For most of the year, grey herons live a relatively solitary existence, lone individuals standing sentinel in the stream, stalking the mudflat pools on the low tide, or sailing silently over the house at dusk in pterodactyl-like silhouette. In spring, they assemble for the nesting season, usually returning to long-established heronries, but while they have always roosted alongside little egrets in the alder carr that borders the mill pond, the heronry here was only founded in 2014.For most of the year, grey herons live a relatively solitary existence, lone individuals standing sentinel in the stream, stalking the mudflat pools on the low tide, or sailing silently over the house at dusk in pterodactyl-like silhouette. In spring, they assemble for the nesting season, usually returning to long-established heronries, but while they have always roosted alongside little egrets in the alder carr that borders the mill pond, the heronry here was only founded in 2014.
There are only eight nests, messy jumbles of twigs like giant witch’s broom galls. Several of them are clustered in a squat, evergreen holm oak, the others in neighbouring trees. Herons are early nesters, with females usually beginning to lay in February, but the Langstone colony’s 2016 season got off to a premature start. Two pairs were seen courting in mid-December and both were sitting by January.There are only eight nests, messy jumbles of twigs like giant witch’s broom galls. Several of them are clustered in a squat, evergreen holm oak, the others in neighbouring trees. Herons are early nesters, with females usually beginning to lay in February, but the Langstone colony’s 2016 season got off to a premature start. Two pairs were seen courting in mid-December and both were sitting by January.
Related: Langstone Mill Pond, Hampshire: Cheeky cygnets try to steal food from under their parents' beaks
With the incubation period lasting 23-28 days, I was hoping to spot a chick. One adult lay flattened to her nest, the breeze stirring the slate-grey feathers on her back. Another was using her rapier bill, with its breeding season blush suggesting that she had applied a dab of lipstick, to gently manipulate something at her feet – eggs or chicks, I couldn’t tell.With the incubation period lasting 23-28 days, I was hoping to spot a chick. One adult lay flattened to her nest, the breeze stirring the slate-grey feathers on her back. Another was using her rapier bill, with its breeding season blush suggesting that she had applied a dab of lipstick, to gently manipulate something at her feet – eggs or chicks, I couldn’t tell.
Completed nests can reach a metre in diameter but several of the stick platforms were works in progress, females arranging twigs as males gathered building materials. As one male flew in with a whippy branch almost the width of his six-foot wingspan, a neighbour flapped up off its perch and tried to grab it. As the mugger’s neck snaked forward, the defending bird reared up, raising its crest, puffing out its chest and pulsing its wings to strike the thief, the prized stick tumbling from its grasp.Completed nests can reach a metre in diameter but several of the stick platforms were works in progress, females arranging twigs as males gathered building materials. As one male flew in with a whippy branch almost the width of his six-foot wingspan, a neighbour flapped up off its perch and tried to grab it. As the mugger’s neck snaked forward, the defending bird reared up, raising its crest, puffing out its chest and pulsing its wings to strike the thief, the prized stick tumbling from its grasp.
As the sun began to set, backlighting the colony with a golden apricot glow, the birds settled to roost. A nestling’s begging call, like two flints knocking together, rang out from the top of the holm oak. As one of its parents descended on deeply bowed wings, I glimpsed the downy punk hairdo and goggle-eyes of the young heron through the foliage.As the sun began to set, backlighting the colony with a golden apricot glow, the birds settled to roost. A nestling’s begging call, like two flints knocking together, rang out from the top of the holm oak. As one of its parents descended on deeply bowed wings, I glimpsed the downy punk hairdo and goggle-eyes of the young heron through the foliage.