44 



THE COMMON HERON. 



HERONRIES WHICH FORMERLY EXISTED IN BERWICKSHIRE, 

 BUT ARE NOW ABANDONED. 



Parish. 



Longformacus. 



Polwarth. 



Westruther. 



Foulden. 



Situation of Heronry and 

 Approximate Number of Nests. 



At the bottom of the March Wood, 

 between Fellcleugh and Ellemford, 

 near the junction of the Dye and 

 Whitadder. 



Twenty-three years ago there were 

 from 10 to 12 nests on the highest 

 chestnut -trees at Marchmont, but 

 during the making of the Berwick- 

 shire railway the engines, which 

 were constantly running along the 

 line at night, apparently frightened 

 the Herons away, for they left their 

 nests at that time and have not 

 returned. (Mr. Hardy, in his MS. 

 Notes, says there used to be a 

 Heronry at Marchmont, where the 

 birds made a great noise. They 

 were protected by Sir W^. Purves 

 Campbell. ) 



A small Heronry, consisting of 

 from 8 to 12 nests, formerly existed 

 in the Circle Plantation, which 

 stood about a hundred yards to the 

 east of Gateside School. About 

 twenty years ago a great gale blew 

 down the high spruce firs upon 

 which the nests were placed, and 

 this destroyed the Heronry. For a 

 few years afterwards a number of 

 Herons built on the trees at Crumles 

 Bridge, near Bruntaburn, but boys 

 interfering with their nests caused 

 them to abandon that situation. 

 The Herons always chose trees 

 having round tops, and made very 

 large circular nests. 



A few Herons took up their abode 

 at Foulden about 1830, on trees a 

 short distance to the south of the 

 Mansion House, but did not con- 

 tinue long there. 



Name and Address 

 OF Reporter. 



Rev. George Cook, 

 The Manse, 

 Longformacus, 

 Duns. 



Peter Loney, 

 Marchmont, 

 Duns. 



Walter Lockie, 

 Gateside School, 

 Spottiswoode, 

 ^\'estruther, 

 Lauder. 



John Wilson of 

 Welnage, Duns, 

 May 4th, 1886. 



