SCOTTISH HERONRIES 



115 



SOLWAY. 



Chapel Farm, Moffat ; 3 or 4 nests, recent colony from Dumcrieff 



Wood. F. Bonnett. 

 Galloway House, Garlieston ; probably ceased to exist. F. Bonnett. 

 Kirkconnell ; 12 to 14 nests. F. Bonnett. 

 Skage; 1 nest has been found. 



-W. C. S. Fergusson. 



A correspondent has asked, " How many nests constitute a 

 herony?" but I am not aware of any authoritative definition. 

 Prof. Newton {Dictionary of Birds) thought that only large 

 settlements were entitled to the name of " heronry," and 

 if that is accepted, there are very few heronries in this 

 country. Based upon what we have, however, a venture may 

 now be made to estimate the total number of present day 

 nesting sites, but in the appended table only places where 

 four or more nests are found together have been taken into 

 account. The numerous places with smaller numbers are 

 ignored as difficult to reckon on, but taken altogether they 

 must represent a considerable additional number of breeding 

 birds. 



Summary of Existing Heronries in Scotland 

 (4 nests or more). 

 10 places* N.-W. riighlands 



(?) 



* Considerable uncertainty as to these figures. 



I feel confident that the total is not an over-estimate, and it 

 compares with 330 places with 4 nests or more known in Ireland- 

 see Ussher and Warren's Birds of Ireland, 1900, pp. 160-61. In 

 England there are about 200 reputed heronries, and in Wales about 

 40, but both these figures are subject to revision. In the whole 

 United Kingdom it would seem that there are not fewer than 

 760 nesting-places at the present time. 



