GREY HERON
This is a big grey bird, and it is unmistakeable. Everywhere that I have been in Europe, that has wetlands, rivers or marshes, has had these stunning birds. In flight they have slow, almost laborious wing beats, with large drooping wings, a retracted neck and dangling feet with their toes curled. When on the ground, they stand stock still waiting for a fish supper. They have dark crowns with white foreheads, a strong, dagger-like yellow bill and yellow legs and feet.
Grey herons can be solitary or hang around in colonies, they can stand tall, with their long necks erect, or hunched over, like an old man with round shoulders and a bedraggled coat. Grey herons are also not averse to standing in trees, which is where they build their nests. They are happy with salt water as well as the fresh stuff, as long as there are fish to be had, but they will also eat frogs and rats if available. The Livadi marshes is the place that you will see these birds.
