Grey Heron calls, Wiltshire, England, June 1992 by The British Library published on 2021-05-06T13:33:38Z Cracking sounds, retching notes and bill-snapping from a family of grey herons at a nest on a lake edge at Shearwater, near Warminster, Wiltshire, at 6.30 am on 5 June 1992. Wren song in background. Britain’s commonest and instantly recognisable heron is a colonial nester, preferring the company of their own kind as they nest cheek by jowl in the tops of tall trees found often in a river or lakeside location. Many herons return to the same locations year after year, some of which have been in use for centuries. Both male and female return to the site early in the year, but it is the male that stakes out its favourite tree by uttering far-carrying advertising calls with its head characteristically raised and bill pointing skywards. Away from the nest, a harsh cough-like flight-call is often heard, but it is at the colony that both male and female become far more vocal, uttering a range of harsh croaking noises. Non-vocal sounds include bill-snapping and rattling, but it is not until the single chicks reach an appreciable size that the cacophony in the colony reaches a crescendo. The huge chicks have such insatiable appetites that they feel compelled to call incessantly for their parents’ attention to ensure a ready supply of anything from fish to frogs and small mammals to snails. Shelf mark W Ardea cinerea R1 C19 Subjects Birds Recording date 1992/06/05 Recording locations Warminster, Wiltshire: OS Grid Reference(387500,145500) Recordist Phelps, Howard Species Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea Image reference pixabay.com/photos/heron-grey-h…nimal-bird-1779147/ Genre Wildlife Comment by Jack Lowe Gosh. 2021-05-11T18:34:20Z Comment by Jack Lowe Amazing! 2021-05-11T18:33:14Z