# Heron nesting site, in the tree tops.



## Testudo Man (Aug 3, 2005)

I stumbled on a Heron nesting site, just a couple of miles from my home this last Sunday...It was purely by accident, I just went for a trek along the river bank(having never been there before)...The 1st thing I noticed was the sheer noise they were making, it was pretty loud...There had to be approx. 12 of them in the tree tops, but the river bank was full of them too(both sides)...As usual, the distance was quite a way off, so the quality of pics do suffer, I started shooting the pics around 6.00pm, and finished at around 7.00pm...

I have to say, I also found a serious amount of very large Mosquito(well, they found me:bash and they tucked into my blood pretty darn well...I have approx. 40 bite lumps, and am suffering a bit:blush:...but the pics were worth it............I think:whistling2:.


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## fergie (Oct 27, 2007)

The pics were well worth it mate. Excellent find  I'm guessing you will be paying a few more visits over the coming weeks?


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

Great photos, now if I can only just persuade you to tell me where in Kent that is....................


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## Testudo Man (Aug 3, 2005)

fergie said:


> The pics were well worth it mate. Excellent find  I'm guessing you will be paying a few more visits over the coming weeks?


 
Hey mate, thanks for posting on here:blush: I thought I smelt of gone off fish or something???!!!...

And yes, what a great find too, Ive never seen so many Herons in one place, Ive been searching about on the net, and it seems the local expert birders all know about this place, but I didnt see anyone else about at all, that might have been because they all knew about those darn monster swarm of mosquitos:blush:...I took a right pasting off those bloodsuckers...
It seems one of the locals even witnessed a large seal in the river, he did get some pics of this too...
I have some more pics of them flying in etc. so I will post them up soon enough...Its a shame I couldnt get any closer, the river is quite wide at this point, so the pics arnt the best quality.


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## Testudo Man (Aug 3, 2005)

diamondlil said:


> Great photos, now if I can only just persuade you to tell me where in Kent that is....................


Hi there, another Kent person:no1:...

I will be more than happy to tell you the location, if you would just like to pm me: victory:


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

Testudo Man said:


> Hi there, another Kent person:no1:...
> 
> I will be more than happy to tell you the location, if you would just like to pm me: victory:


PM sent!


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## Testudo Man (Aug 3, 2005)

diamondlil said:


> PM sent!


PM returned: victory:


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## fergie (Oct 27, 2007)

Testudo Man said:


> Hey mate, thanks for posting on here:blush: I thought I smelt of gone off fish or something???!!!...
> 
> And yes, what a great find too, Ive never seen so many Herons in one place, Ive been searching about on the net, and it seems the local expert birders all know about this place, but I didnt see anyone else about at all, that might have been because they all knew about those darn monster swarm of mosquitos:blush:...I took a right pasting off those bloodsuckers...
> It seems one of the locals even witnessed a large seal in the river, he did get some pics of this too...
> I have some more pics of them flying in etc. so I will post them up soon enough...Its a shame I couldnt get any closer, the river is quite wide at this point, so the pics arnt the best quality.


No bother pal. The pics look fine to me. The way you are going with this aul birding caper you are going to have to invest in a DSLR and a zoom lens so as to capture those magical moments. Come on dude get the finger out


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## capester (Oct 18, 2007)

Luckily I have a heron nesting tree at my local country park. It isn't great for wildlife around here so it is nice to have something like that! Strange thing is that that the tree is really easy to see and have some great vantage points for pics too (plus no mozzies!). I have some pictures somewhere, I'll try to post some!. I agree with the noise aspect- I thought it was raptors the first time I heard them!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i didn't realize that you guys had herons there!!:2thumb:

pretty big too!: victory:


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## Soulwax (Jan 6, 2009)

Wonderful, I love herons.


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## Testudo Man (Aug 3, 2005)

fergie said:


> No bother pal. The pics look fine to me. The way you are going with this aul birding caper you are going to have to invest in a DSLR and a zoom lens so as to capture those magical moments. Come on dude get the finger out


Cheers mate...A DSLR with a zoom lens is on the cards, just gotta pull me ole finger out an get one, then I will do some damage out there: victory:...I best post up the other pics i took on the day then...



capester said:


> Luckily I have a heron nesting tree at my local country park. It isn't great for wildlife around here so it is nice to have something like that! Strange thing is that that the tree is really easy to see and have some great vantage points for pics too (plus no mozzies!). I have some pictures somewhere, I'll try to post some!. I agree with the noise aspect- I thought it was raptors the first time I heard them!


They do make a hell of a noise, and yeah, be good to see some of your heron pics, and dont talk about the mozzies mate, I cant believe the bites have flared back up, after 7 days now(It might have something to do with the recent alcohol in my system though:whistling2:



HABU said:


> i didn't realize that you guys had herons there!!:2thumb:
> 
> pretty big too!: victory:


They are pretty big, I think they grow to approx. 90 cms.



Soulwax said:


> Wonderful, I love herons.


Me too, they are fantastic to watch, when they are stalking by the waters edge...

Some more pics then folks...


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

I had a great time watching the herons on Saturday, thanks to you Paul! Heavy spraying with repellent only whetted the mozzies' appetites though, I'm covered in bites, even in my hair.


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## Testudo Man (Aug 3, 2005)

diamondlil said:


> I had a great time watching the herons on Saturday, thanks to you Paul! Heavy spraying with repellent only whetted the mozzies' appetites though, I'm covered in bites, even in my hair.


Glad you had a good time at that Heronry...and its a shame, you too got eaten alive by those bloody mozzies...My bites actually lasted 2 weeks, and some of them flared up again, and I had round red circles as big as 50 pence coins on the bites too:gasp:...It will be interesting to see how your bites develop?!...But I do feel sorry for you these coming days:whistling2:


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## xvickyx (Jul 21, 2009)

They are great photos 

I love herons


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

The mozzie bites have finally settled down now! Next time I go I'm borrowing the spray we use on the horses, I loved seeing the herons but over a week of itching was torture


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## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

Great find!!


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## Testudo Man (Aug 3, 2005)

xvickyx said:


> They are great photos
> 
> I love herons


Cheers...Herons are magnificent birds for sure.



diamondlil said:


> The mozzie bites have finally settled down now! Next time I go I'm borrowing the spray we use on the horses, I loved seeing the herons but over a week of itching was torture


:2thumb::2thumb: I shouldnt laugh really should I...but I know exactly what you went through, because I had nearly two weeks of those mozzie bites myself:devil:...what made it worst for me is, I got sun burnt on the backs of my legs, which doubled the itching......Still these are the things we do to see/get those types of Heron shots :whistling2:



Gaboon said:


> Great find!!


Thanks...I might go back next year, at a slightly earlier time in the year, to see if i can get pics of the herons when they are younger too?...
Not gonna wear shorts though, and Im investing in some serious bug repellent: victory:


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## Juggernaut (Aug 10, 2008)

awesome sight.good spot :2thumb:


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## Joe4 (Mar 12, 2010)

Kelsey Park in Beckenham, Kent has loads of nesting herons too : victory:


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