Henry & Henrietta.
Long before the first table was laid at The Old Mill, a pair of grey herons were standing in the shallows at the end of the lake, waiting. We call them Henry and Henrietta. They keep their own hours, ignore the terrace entirely, and are — by some distance — the most photographed guests at Stonerush Lakes.
Patient, prehistoric, and quietly enormous.
1.9m
Wingspan
A grey heron's wings span almost two metres — which is why our pair look like two folding umbrellas taking off from the reeds.
25 yrs
Lifespan
Herons can live for over two decades in the wild, so Henry and Henrietta may well outlast several of our menus.
0 km/h
Hunting speed
Herons hunt by standing perfectly still, sometimes for half an hour, then striking in a fraction of a second.
S-bend
That neck
A heron flies with its neck tucked into an S — unlike storks and cranes, which fly with theirs straight out.
Where to find them
Henry and Henrietta work the shallow margins at the far end of the lake, usually early morning or the last hour of light. Henrietta favours the reedbeds, while Henry holds court on the jetty posts on warm evenings as the terrace fills up.
What they eat
Roach, rudd and the occasional over-confident frog. Herons swallow fish whole, head first, and will take small mammals and ducklings when the fishing is slow.
Heron etiquette
Watch from the terrace or the path and keep your distance — herons spook easily and will abandon a good fishing spot. Please don't feed them; they are far better fishermen than we are.
Herons and mills
Mill pools have drawn herons for centuries: still water, steady stocks of fish and a high perch to survey it all. Henry and Henrietta are simply carrying on a very old arrangement.
Henry & Henrietta, as you've seen them.
Photographs sent in by guests and checked by the team before they go up.
Looking for the herons…