Reading a heron's stance before it strikes
The hunched neck and still legs show a heron is close to striking, and the few seconds before it moves are the time to note the spot.
A grey heron that is about to strike usually holds a still pose: its neck curled into a tight S, its head low and forward over the water, and its body held level. The bird may stay like this for a long time. The change you are looking for comes in the last few seconds before a strike, and it is small enough to miss if you watch the water instead of the bird.
This short guide explains what to look for in that stance and how to use the time it gives you. It covers one small skill, not the whole of heron feeding.
What the stance looks like
Watch the neck first. In a stand, the neck is folded into a tight curve and the head sits low, with the bill pointing down toward the water. The legs stay still and straight, and the body is level, so the bird looks almost like a post in the shallows. When the neck begins to straighten, the head drops toward the surface and the bill points at the water.
How a stalk leads into a strike
Before a strike a heron often stalks, moving forward a step at a time with each foot lifted high and placed with care. A stalk is slow, and it tells you the bird has noticed something in the shallows. Count the steps. A short stalk often ends in a strike, while a longer walk often ends with the bird standing again in a new spot.
What to note in the moment
- The direction the head is facing, which shows where the bird is looking.
- The distance from the bird to the nearest reed, stone or bank.
- Whether the bird steps forward, turns or holds its ground.
- The time, roughly, so you can compare one visit with the next.
What can go wrong
The most common error is to watch the water and miss the bird. Ripples, sparkle and shadows pull the eye away. Keep your eye on the head and the neck. Another error is to raise binoculars too late, when the strike is already over. Lift them while the bird is in its stance, not after it has moved.
A second error is to read every still moment as the start of a strike. A heron can stand for long periods without striking, so the stance alone does not tell you what comes next.
How to tell the bird is about to move
The sign is a change in the neck and head together. A bird whose head begins to drop, whose neck starts to straighten and whose bill points at the water is close to striking. If nothing changes after a long pause, the bird has most likely settled for a while. Go back to the spot later, and write down what you saw.