ARDEIDM— HERONS. 



183 





At present they occupy some tall elms growing upon an island in the largest 

 sheet of water in the Park. In 1869 there were about thirty pairs ; in 1883, 

 about twenty-five ; in March, 1884, forty-three nests were counted (47. 94) ; and 

 in April, 1887, about thirty-eight. There have since been a few more added. 

 Mr. Fitch says (50. ii. 179) : " It is satisfactory to learn that the free admission 

 of visitors to the Park, except that the path by the lake is closed in May and 

 June during nidification, has not apparently resulted in any injury to the Heronry." 

 An interesting account 

 of a visit to this Heronry, 

 was given by Mr. Hart- 

 ing in Science Gossip for 

 April, 1869, and also in 

 his Sketches of Bird Life 

 (1883, p. 266) ; while a 

 small sketch of it (here 

 reproduced) appears in 

 Mr. Buxton's Epping 

 Forest (47. 94) ; and a 

 larger' one by C. Whym- 

 per in Seebohm's Brit- 

 ish Birds (ii. p. 472). 

 Through the kindness 

 •of Mr. E. A. Fitch, 1 am 

 enabled to introduce as 

 the frontispiece of this 

 work, a lithographic re- 

 production of another 

 drawing of this Heronry, 

 made by Mr. C. Whym- 

 per in 1885. The orig- 

 inal is in Mr. Harting's 



HERONRY 



WANSTEAD PARK, ESSEX. 



possession. 



The next Essex He- 

 ronry deserving notice is that in the park surrounding Boreham House, the 

 residence of Lieut. J. L. Tufnell-Tyrell. Mr. Fitch writes (50. ii. 174) : — 



" This Heronry is not now in its old position. The birds used to build where 

 the Rooks do now. immediately behind Boreham House ; but about seven 

 years ago this colony became reduced to a single nest, and the old bird was shot 

 whilst sitting. In 1884, the Herons first nested in West Mead Grove, a small 

 grove planted as an apple orchard in 1842, and subsequently with oak, spruce 

 firs, and a few miscellaneous trees, including some Scotch pines. The grove 

 being only about 400 yards from the river, and on about the same level, the soil is 

 very wet, like all the grass-land of the Chelmer Valley, and consequently the 

 apple trees soon cankered and died out, although one or two still remain, and 

 the growth of the firs has been very slow. In company with the Rooks, the 

 Herons have taken possession of these last-named trees. In 1886, there were nine 

 nests, but thirty young Herons were destroyed in one day, and several more on 

 ■other occasions. In 1887 the position was about the same, and although the 

 persecution was continued, there appears to be the same number of nests this pre- 

 sent year." In 1889, there were six nests, from which ten eggs were taken. 



Of the Brightlingsea (St. Osyth) Heronry, Mr. Fitch says : — 



" In Yarrell's British Birds and other works, mention is made of a Heronry 

 at St. Osyth, but this appears to have been a mistake. The only Heronry in the 



