1 82 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



them there in the winter. They probably come across the Thames from the 

 Heronry in Earl Darnley's Park at Cobham. 



The Dictionary of the Thames says : " About Barking or Rainham these birds 

 may be met with at all times of the day in ihe marshes adjoining the river, 

 as well as in the creeks and on the mud-flats around Canvey Island." 



By far the largest and most important Heronry in the county is that at 

 Birch, the property of Mr. James Round, M.P., who informs me that he be- 

 lieves it was originally started by a pair that came from Brightlingsea when 

 the Magens estate was sold, some twenty-five years ago. I visited it on April 

 i6th, 1888, a charming, summer-like day, in company with Mr. E. A. Fitch, 

 from whose description of our visit (50. ii. 171) I cull the following passages : — 



"The Birch Heronry is in the middle of an oak wood of about eighteen 

 acres, known as Calve's Pasture. There was little or nothing to indicate the 

 presence of the Herons until we got well under the trees they occupied ; then 

 we saw them sitting upon their nests, and on the tops of the trees, or flying 

 leisurely around in all directions. The birds appeared to be particularly tame, and 

 v.'ere in no wise disconcerted at our presence ; several were still building, and 

 there were certainly no young, nor, possibly, any sitting birds. We counted 125 

 nests, and Mr. Henry Stephenson, the head-keeper, toM us that he expected at 

 least forty more would be built ; he had seen over 300 birds about this year. All 

 the nests were on oaks, and the largest number on one tree was eight. The 

 usual flat platform of small branches and twigs was here lined with nettie-stravv, 

 not dock, as at Boreham. It was quite astonishing to see what comparatively 

 large branches the Herons had broken off for building purposes. Mr. Stephen- 

 son was able to give us a complete history of this now-extensive Heronry, as it 

 was he who found the first nest in Chest Wood, Laj-er-de-la-Haye, in 1861, on 

 one of the tallest oaks, said to be nearly thirty feet to the first branch. The next 

 year (1862) there were three nests, and the}' increased in numbers steadily every 

 \'eai-, until 1877, when there were about 100 nests in their first-chosen spot. Chest 

 Wood. In February, 1878, the Herons came as usual to roost there, preparatory 

 to nesting ; but, shortly afterwards, a pair of Peregrine Falcons appeared, and 

 caused great alarm among the Herons. One day, when on his rounds, Stephenson 

 watched a Heron high overhead apparently trying to outsoar a Peregrine, until both 

 were lost to sight, but shortly afterwards Heron and Peregrine fell to the ground 

 almost at his feet. The Peregrines were not shot, but the effect of their presence 

 was that the Herons entirely forsook Chest Wood for nesting purposes, and 

 came to their present abode in Calve's Pasture. That same year (1878), they 

 built about 100 nests in the latter wood, and the colony has now increased to 

 nearly 200. No nest has been seen in Chest Wood since 1877, until last year, 

 when a solitary one was observed. The birds are strictly preserved in every 

 way and I especially from the Rooks, which are prevented from roosting in the 

 wood as far as possible, being looked upon by the keeper as very destructive to 

 Heron's eggs, and he especially complained of their depredations among the 

 early nests of this present year, during the severe weather of March." 



Next on our list of Essex Heronries, in size and importance, stands that 

 at Wanstead, which of the 3C0 or more now existing in Great Britain, is, 

 I believe, the nearest of all to London, being only about seven miles distant from 

 St. Paul's, As long ago as 1834, 't was described (13. ii. 19$) as "of long estab- 

 lishment and very populous " — a character which it still maintains, and is likely 

 long to maintain, as Wanstead Park now forms part of Epping Forest, and is 

 under the control of the Corporation of London, acting as Conservators of the 

 Forest. Mr. Fitch says (50. ii. 178) : 



" Formerly the birds built on an island in the upper pond in the park, which 

 consequently acquired the name of Heron Pond [by which it is still known] ; 

 but they now frequent Lincoln Island, and during the nesting season special 

 precautions are taken by the Conservators to prevent their being disturbed." 



