A heron having discussions on the sycamore tree

I spotted a heron flying up from the valley bottom and watched it land on the neighbours sycamore tree at the bottom of their garden. I quickly went to my study to get my camera and carefully poked the lens out of the window and was pleased it didn't disturb the heron. 

Within a few seconds a group of several crows and three magpies all flew up to the top of the same tree, which is one of their usual perches as well as where some of them nest. There was squawking and screeching and then a period of quiet stand-off with the heron standing tall on its legs to appear as big as possible. There was no actual attack which would have happened if a buzzard had landed, and within a short while the first magpie got bored and flew away as you can see.

The heron occasionally visits our big ash tree, but I think it chose this sycamore as it would get a better view into the back gardens further down the hillside, where I think there are some ponds and possibly some fish to eat. It was also quite misty down in the valley so it might have wanted to get warm in the sunshine.

I think the heron lives in the reeds surrounding the banks of the River Frome and the adjacent canal. Our gardens back onto a side valley or tributary of the Frome with its own little Lime Brook, but I think the heron would be too exposed there. In the distance you can see a few houses and farm buildings of the area called Butterow and Montserratt, both of which are on the south side of the River Frome's Golden Valley.

I spent quite a while waiting for it to fly away and there were some occasional spreading of wings and adjustments to its rather precarious position in the air. Eventually it gathered itself and flew back down the hillside over the gardens and off towards the old Arundell Mill pond, now abandoned and silted up where at least one heron is resident.