Grey herons are the largest birds most of us ever see in Hong Kong, and they can attain a wing span of around 6ft.
This one i came across in Mai Po, and as i swung my camera to face him, he began to take off...follow the sequence along with some fascinating facts about these lovely large birds.
In medieval times the heron was a favourite quarry of falconers who valued its great flying skills and ability to evade the falcon's stoops, and herons were also popular at medieval banquets: the young birds, called branchers, were thought to be the best to eat.
The fat of a heron killed at full moon was once believed to be a cure for rheumatism.
Herons are sociable birds when nesting, invariably nesting in long-established heronries.
20. Persuading marauding herons not to raid goldfish ponds is very difficult. The only 100% effective protection is netting the pond. 21. Plastic decoy herons are more likely to lure birds to a pond than frighten them away from it.