The Lincolnshire Bird Club

I saw a Grey Heron by the side of the road. Could I ask what it was doing there. There isn't any fish in the pools of water on the roads, I can tell you that thought!

Seriously, what is a Grey Heron doing by the side of the road?

Whilst fish may represent a large part of their prey Grey Herons are not fussy eaters and will take food where they can find it. I've often seen them standing well away from water in the middle of fields, in woods and even roadsides. They will take and eat reptiles, amphibians, rodents (I have seen Herons struggling with quite large rats) and presumably worms etc. Your Heron was just probably taking advantage of a local feeding opportunity.

John

_________________
Lincolnshire Birds https://www.flickr.com/photos/120340949 ... 8078912016
-------------------------------


Contact: recorder_north@lincsbirdclub.co.uk

Hitch-hiking?

Is it possible it thought it was a chicken and was therefore about to cross the road, presumably waiting for a suitable safe opportunity?

As John said, probably food.

Don't sound so surprised!

Interestingly, some species have been known to mistake roads - especially wet roads - for rivers. Birds such as Dabchick and Mute Swan have had to be rescued after crash landing on roads by accident. So, even though this heron was probably just searching for food on the verge, it may have initially landed there thinking it was a riverbank.

The only Shag known in Louth was found on a road in thick fog presumably having mistaken it for a river. The finder took it to Covenham Res the next morning where there were already 6 shags and a dead imm bird.

John

_________________
Lincolnshire Birds https://www.flickr.com/photos/120340949 ... 8078912016
-------------------------------


Contact: recorder_north@lincsbirdclub.co.uk