heron

[Jeremy Roussak]

Taken in my back garden, in Manchester. Species, anyone?

Jeremy

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

It looks exactly like a Great Blue Heron, from this side of the pond.

Wikipedia says "The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to coastal Spain, the Azores, and areas of far southern Europe."

Perhaps the British Isles have been floating in a southern direction?

[Jeremy Roussak]

It looks exactly like a Great Blue Heron, from this side of the pond.

Wikipedia says "The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to coastal Spain, the Azores, and areas of far southern Europe."

Perhaps the British Isles have been floating in a southern direction?

We've certainly had a few rather pleasant warm days, but I think we'd have crashed into France if we were.

I suspect it's a grey heron. I was hoping one of our resident ornithologists would know.

Jeremy

[RSL]

At first I didn't think it's a great blue, but I rolled through my collection of 239 great blue pictures and decided he's a great blue -- a bit different from the local variety, but not different enough not to be a great blue.

I have 'em sitting, flying, eating, fishing. You name it. We call our local great blue(s) "George."

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

From the images I find on the web of Grey Heron, I think it's probably that.
It's range is more appropriate, and the similarity to our Great Blue is very substantial.

Nice shots, Jeremy and Russ.