It has been a delight watching a pair of herons at Paxton build their nest, incubate and then bring up 3 youngsters. They are not yet fledged so fingers crossed for them. The image sheet sows the dates and certainly support the facts on heron breeding below. It is also interesting the way the colour palette turns from reddish winter (autumn) tones to springtime green as the leaves come out
Grey Herons typically take about one to two weeks to build their nests. Nest building is primarily carried out by the female, with the male bringing materials. A female grey heron lays 3 to 5 eggs per clutch, at intervals of about 48 hours. Both parents share the responsibility of incubating the eggs, which lasts about 25 days. Incubation often begins with the first egg laid, leading to asynchronous hatching, where chicks may hatch at different times. Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge (develop feathers necessary for flight) at around 7 to 8 weeks old.
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