G. H. Gurney — A Visit to the Brinsop Court Aviaries 53

A VISIT TO THE BRINSOP COURT AVIARIES

By G. H. Gurney, F.Z.S.


Having lately spent a week-end in Herefordshire as the guest of

Mr. H. D. Astley, some account of his wonderful collection of birds,

which he keeps at his beautiful home at Brinsop Court, will, I am

sure, interest those readers of the Avicultural Magazine who have not

been lucky enough to have had the opportunity of seeing the treasures

he has there.


To begin with, the beautiful old house, part of it twelfth century,

is filled with treasures not only ornithological, but also with its

associations with Wordsworth, and its lovely old galleries and halls

make it a place of great delight apart from the birds. The moat

which surrounds the house and the gardens of great picturesqueness

and fascination add to its beauty, which is further emphasized by the

Stanley Cranes, which are full winged, or by the Flamingoes, which

always appear to group themselves in positions in which their beauty

shows off to perfection, either reflected in the moat or standing in some

corner amongst surroundings which add enormously to their own

beauty. The Stanley Cranes generally take an early morning fly round

the place, and to see them come sailing over the roof of the house

and then settling is a wonderful sight ; they are perfectly tame, and

although all Mr. Astley's birds were in beautiful order I do not think

I have ever seen two birds in such faultless condition and bloom as

these two Stanleys were.


Amongst so many birds it is difficult to know which to specially

mention, when all deserve a word. On going down to breakfast the

first morning I was greeted by a Missel Thrush which has the run of

the dining-hall and flew screeching at me as I entered the room,

pecking me quite severely on the forehead, knowing perfectly well

I was a stranger. Recovering from this somewhat boisterous greeting

I at once went to look at some of the avian treasures in cages in the room.

Here, in a large wooden cage, Mr. Astley keeps his unique Woodpecker,

the Golden Xaped Woodpecker from the Himalayas ; it is frightfully

rare, and those df us who Lave kept woodpeckers know what difficult



