Herons on the towpath

Herons

I am no avid birdwatcher, but the sight of a Heron standing poised on the canal bank never fails to fascinate me.

I know that they are two a penny on our waterways, but there is something captivating about how thay stand, completely motionless waiting for a fish to move in the face of an approaching boat. Most times their endeavours are in vain, but just now and then they throw themselves into the water, emerging with a silvery fish clamped in their long beak.

Other times they will give up  before you reach them, soaring into the air on their huge grey wings, folding their heads down onto an s shaped neck, only to land and repeat the exercise again and again down miles and miles of canal.

These are a few of the many Heron photos I have taken this summer.