Oxford’s most famous bird has been immortalised on a vacant billboard where mystery artists have been posting images.

The Osney heron, which is known and loved by many, sits patiently beneath Osney Bridge, hour after hour, day after day, waiting for his dinner to flash through the foam beneath.

The noble bird is so popular he even had his 'own' X - formerly Twitter - account.

Oxford Mail: Mill Street photographers billboard

A photograph of the heron is the latest image to appear in a billboard on the side of Pack and Send in Mill Street which runs south from Botley Road close to Oxford Railway Station.

For nearly two years, creative and eye-catching images, some with hashtags, have been appearing every couple of months, including Father Christmas wearing a Covid face mask and an Easter dodo surrounded by yellow and blue eggs in support of Ukraine.

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Following the Queen's death last September, a corgi appeared with a black armband.

Earlier this year a simple photograph of the Botley Bridge underpass appeared as a nod to the Botley bridge upgrade works.

Pack and Send used to use the billboard for advertising but the adverts were often graffitied.

After they stopped using it staff at the shop said they believed the first mystery artist to post images was a woman who lives on the street.

Oxford Mail: The Osney Heron photographed by Oxford Mail Camera Club member James Rudeford The Osney Heron photographed by Oxford Mail Camera Club member James Rudeford

However, Osney resident Stuart Tydfil said Oxford photographers now seem to be the link.

He said: "They recently had a photograph off George Street with a dog looking at it. 

"It looks like it’s run by some sort of photography group as one of the images was a beach scene by cult Oxford photographer Paddy Summerfield followed by his portrait.

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"There was a montage which was an Oxford Mail project by photographer Crispin Zeeman. The halloween pumpkins has an Oxford Mail connection with Oxford Mail photographer Ed Nix.

"The massive wasp is almost certainly by Theo Chalmers who specialises in macro photography and lives in East Oxford.

Oxford Mail: Mill Street photographers billboard

"The latest gem is the Osney heron. People love it because you often see the heron in the stream just further down the Botley Road and I think that’s an Andrew Ogilvy shot although I can't be certain. 

"It's being going quite a while now and there's been some gems. I wonder what’s next?"

The heron's social media account can be found by searching @Osneybird on X.

People often stop to look at the heron on the Seven Arches Bridge.