﻿98 
  

  

  BIRDS. 
  

  

  eight 
  nests, 
  in 
  Scots 
  firs, 
  having 
  slowly 
  increased 
  in 
  the 
  numbers 
  

   of 
  its 
  inhabitants. 
  

  

  In 
  Strathspey 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  old 
  heronry 
  at 
  Carnacnuic 
  1 
  in 
  Aber- 
  

   nethy. 
  We 
  saw 
  two 
  young 
  birds 
  from 
  this 
  heronry 
  in 
  the 
  pos- 
  

   session 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Grant, 
  the 
  landlord 
  of 
  Nethy 
  Bridge 
  Hotel, 
  in 
  1891. 
  

  

  The 
  bones 
  of 
  a 
  bird 
  allied 
  to, 
  but 
  not 
  those 
  of, 
  the 
  Common 
  

   Heron, 
  have 
  been 
  so 
  identified 
  by 
  Professor 
  MacGillivray, 
  which 
  

   were 
  sent 
  to 
  him 
  from 
  the 
  ' 
  Gypsies' 
  Cave 
  ' 
  or 
  ' 
  Tinkers' 
  Cave 
  ' 
  

   near 
  Hopeman 
  {Fauna 
  of 
  Moray). 
  2 
  

  

  On 
  Netherdale 
  estate, 
  in 
  the 
  Log 
  Wood, 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  Herons 
  

   are 
  regularly 
  seen 
  to 
  frequent 
  it, 
  but 
  as 
  we 
  were 
  informed 
  by 
  the 
  

   keeper 
  — 
  Frazer 
  — 
  only 
  one 
  nest 
  is 
  built, 
  and 
  that 
  not 
  every 
  year 
  ; 
  

   young 
  were 
  hatched 
  off 
  in 
  1892. 
  And 
  on 
  Laithers 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  

   river 
  Deveron 
  — 
  a 
  little 
  lower 
  down 
  than 
  Netherdale 
  — 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  

   favourite 
  haunt 
  of 
  the 
  Herons, 
  probably 
  the 
  same 
  birds, 
  on 
  the 
  

   shallows 
  which 
  lie 
  above 
  the 
  salmon 
  pools 
  called 
  1 
  Upper, 
  Middle, 
  

   and 
  Lower 
  Heron.' 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  lovely 
  bend 
  of 
  the 
  river, 
  and 
  we 
  

   have 
  often 
  seen 
  the 
  Herons 
  catch 
  their 
  breakfast 
  of 
  small 
  fish, 
  

   wading 
  in 
  as 
  deep 
  as 
  their 
  thighs, 
  and 
  standing 
  1 
  stockstill 
  ' 
  till 
  

   their 
  prey 
  came 
  within 
  reach. 
  Formerly 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  Herons 
  bred 
  in 
  

   the 
  hanging-wood 
  which 
  overlooks 
  the 
  1 
  Upper 
  Heron 
  ' 
  pool 
  of 
  the 
  

   Deveron, 
  but 
  when 
  most 
  of 
  that 
  wood 
  on 
  Laithers 
  estate 
  was 
  cut, 
  

   they 
  left, 
  and 
  took 
  up 
  their 
  abode 
  in 
  the 
  Log 
  Wood 
  on 
  the 
  property 
  

   of 
  Netherdale. 
  After 
  a 
  time, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  year 
  — 
  1895 
  — 
  

   two 
  pairs 
  successfully 
  reared 
  their 
  young 
  in 
  another 
  wood 
  on 
  the 
  

   same 
  property, 
  possibly 
  the 
  nucleus 
  of 
  a 
  future 
  heronry 
  ! 
  

  

  Ardea 
  purpurea, 
  L. 
  Purple 
  Heron. 
  

  

  One 
  is 
  supposed 
  to 
  have 
  occurred 
  about 
  thirteen 
  miles 
  from 
  Banff, 
  

   and 
  is 
  thus 
  recorded 
  by 
  Edward 
  : 
  — 
  1 
  My 
  late 
  friend 
  Kev. 
  Mr. 
  

   Smith 
  saw 
  fragments 
  of 
  the 
  bird 
  some 
  time 
  afterwards 
  (i.e. 
  after 
  

   it 
  had 
  been 
  shot), 
  and 
  believed 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  this 
  species.' 
  One 
  was 
  

   shot 
  near 
  Lochnabo 
  in 
  1888 
  (Fauna 
  of 
  Moray, 
  edition 
  1889, 
  p. 
  56). 
  

  

  Botaurus 
  stellaris 
  (L.). 
  Bittern. 
  

  

  A 
  rare 
  visitant 
  to 
  the 
  northern 
  part 
  of 
  our 
  area. 
  One 
  was 
  killed 
  

   at 
  Balnagowan 
  in 
  March 
  1856; 
  another 
  at 
  Corriemony, 
  at 
  the 
  

   head 
  of 
  Glen 
  Urquhart 
  in 
  1861, 
  as 
  we 
  find 
  entered 
  in 
  Macleay's 
  

   ledgers. 
  

  

  1 
  Sometimes 
  pronounced 
  Carnacruinch. 
  

  

  2 
  We 
  have 
  failed 
  to 
  trace 
  these 
  remains 
  to 
  their 
  present 
  resting-place. 
  

  

  