Bird Life in a Suburban Parish 155 



The Heron does not always, however, nest on trees, wliere, 

 to tell the truth, he seems somewhat out of place : tor in 

 Holland I have seen it nesting among the reeds, in just the 

 same sort of a place as that chosen by Pin-ple Herons, except 

 that, if possible, it was more difficult of access. For, in spite 

 of every effort, I failed in my attempts to photograph the 

 nests which contained young birds. The water was very 

 deep, almost up to my neck, and the })ottom exceedingly 

 soft and treacherous, and the six exposures I made, after 

 an infinity of exertion and trouble, were all failures. 



But though the Heron no longer nests with us, it may 

 frequently be seen following its vocation as a fisher along 

 the brooks and ponds, or flying over to some more distant 

 feeding-place with slow and dignifled flaps of its great 

 rounded wings. 



Once, while hidden under a spreading tree waiting for 

 Water-hens, a Heron unexpectedly perched on the extreme 

 summit of a dead tree, exactly opposite my hiding-place. 

 Creeping forth to clear the branches oAcrhead, I just suc- 

 ceeded in focussing the bird in a splendid position, when 

 its keen sight detected my presence. The suddenness with 

 which it took its departure before I could secure the photo- 

 graph left the branch on which it had perched in violent 

 vibration for some time afterwards. On my next ^•isit to 

 the place the branch was missing, as though the bird had 

 perched once again and broken it. As the spot was, 1 

 knew, a regular resort for Herons, I paid se^•eral early 

 visits before daybreak, hoping that this particular tree was 



