Heron Plan

Chapter

Reading the shallows where herons hunt

How to read shallow water, margins and weedy edges to find where a grey heron is likely to feed, and how to check a spot without disturbing it.

A grey heron feeds where it can wade and still see into the water. That usually means shallow water along the margin of a lake, a slow river bend, a ditch or pools left on mud as the tide goes out. This chapter shows you how to read those spots from a distance and how to check one without moving the bird on.

Steps

  1. Find the water a heron can wade. Look for shallows: water clear enough to see the bottom and no deeper than the bird's lower legs. Scan the shore from firm ground at a distance.
  2. Look for the margin where cover meets open water. Reeds, rushes or weed at the edge give the bird a clear view out and give its prey somewhere to hide. Pick out where the cover thins into open water.
  3. Read the light and the surface. Still water shows a heron's reflection clearly, and a small ring spreading on the surface often means something has just moved.
  4. Mark the spots the bird returns to. A rock, a stump or a fallen branch used again and again is a sign of a regular feeding place. Note its position against landmarks you can find again.
  5. Confirm by watching, not by guessing. Stay at your vantage point for a few minutes. A spot that looks good may hold no bird on a given visit, so come back at another time of day.

What can go wrong

The most common error is to assume that any shallow water holds fish. Ditches can be dry in parts, and shallows can look busy while being empty.

Another error is to go down to the edge for a better look. Footsteps on soft ground carry, and a bird can leave before you have seen where it hunts. Read the margin from the far side or from higher ground. If you must move, keep to firm ground well back from the water.

For where to stand, see choosing a vantage point for watching herons.

How to tell it went right

You know a spot works when a heron comes back to it, stands for a while and strikes now and then. It will often stand in much the same place from one visit to the next.

If the bird lifts and leaves as soon as you appear, you were too close. Move back and watch again. When you have several spots, you can sketch them on a plan of the site, as described in drawing a heron plan of a feeding ground.