ESSEX HERONRIES. 175
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 present year. The weather on the day of
our first visit was very rough, and the ground had been covered with
snow the day previously. We climbed up to three nests, but found no
eggs, although the nest was freshly decorated with green twigs of
spruce. We had an opportunity of seeing what a substantial platform
of twigs and small branches the herons had constructed; Mr. W.
Lines (the keeper) got well into two nests, and not only stood up on
them, but, by stamping on them, gave the trees a good shaking ; the
nests apparently suffering no damage. We only saw one old heron,
but were surprised at disturbing three or four moorhens from the
herons' nests on the tops of the fir trees. We saw also a woodcock
and a pair of wild ducks in the grove, besides quantities of game and
rabbits.
On April 4th Mr. R. W. Christy and myself paid a second visit to
the Boreham heronry. The extreme lateness of the season was
evident in many ways—the blackthorn had hardly knotted for blossom,
no buds were on the hawthorn, and even Wordsworth's "little
celandine" (Ranunculus ficaria) was not in full bloom. The only
spring signs were the hazel catkins, a few fairly green elder stubs,
the bright red lime buds, and the leaves of the cuckoo-pint starting
up on the hedge banks. Among the spruce firs we found the nine
nests which the keeper, from having counted eighteen old birds
about the grove, had led us to expect, but he said that he thought we
were yet too early for eggs.2 Three nests examined were empty, but
the next ascent was rewarded by the discovery of five eggs in one
nest, three of which were brought down; one, on being blown,
proving to have been slightly incubated. We closely inspected every
tree in the wood, but could only find three other unfinished nests.
Although so huge, the nests in the thick spruce tops could not
be readily seen from the ground. Knowing that the herons would
2 It is well known that the heron is a very early breeder. Mr. J, Young records ("Zoologist,"
1884, p. 191; visiting a heronry on March 23rd, 1883, and finding that most of the nests contained
young birds, while on February 23rd, 1884, by examining five nests in the same heronry, two
were found to contain eggs, and three young birds. Mr. John R. Wise, in his "New Forest"
(p. 309) however mentions an instance of a pair of herons laying at Boldrewood as late as June
23rd.