ESSEX HERONRIES.
179
told that the birds come to the heronry at the end of January or
beginning of February, "and at once begin building operations.
The old nests seem to require little repair. About fifty birds came
to the trees in 1883; by the 6th of March, 1884, forty-three were
counted, and there were probably more." At the meeting of the
Club in the Park on April 21st, 1888, Goddard, the keeper, stated that
in 1887 thirty-eight nests were counted, and that during the present
spring he thought there were more. It was satisfactory to learn that
the free admission of visitors to the park (excepting that the path by
the lake is closed in May and June during nidification) has not
apparently resulted in any injury to the heronry, and, contrary to the
common opinion, the numerous rooks on the island appear to dwell
in friendly relations with their long-legged neighbours.
A sketch of the Wanstead Heronry is introduced in Seebohm's
"History of British Birds" (vol. ii., p. 472), and by the kindness of
Mr. Harting I am able to present to the readers of the Essex
Naturalist a reproduction in lithography of a drawing of this
heronry made by Mr. C. Whymper in 1885. This drawing forms
the frontispiece to the present volume of the Essex Naturalist.5
Brightlingsea and St. Osyth Heronries.—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
neighbourhood was one just over the arm of the Colne estuary at
Brightlingsea. So far as I can learn there never was a heronry at
St. Osyth, although as shown further on there is some hope that this
defect may be speedily rectified. On the morning of April 19th,
1888, Mr. W. H. Harwood and myself visited the site of the
Brightlingsea Heronry, which is now tenanted by rooks. It is a
most secluded spot on the Wyvenhoe side of the twenty-seven acre
grove, on Mr. Bateman's estate, known as Heronry Wood, a little
more than a quarter of a mile west of Brightlingsea Church. Mark
Gooch, the old keeper, told us that formerly the heronry certainly
contained over a hundred nests, but that forty-three or forty-four
years ago the largest trees were felled, and this seriously diminished
the numbers of the herons ; then the rooks came, and they and the
5 Since this paper was written, Mr. Miller Christy has informed me that about five years ago
several pairs of herons (doubtless a party from Wanstead) came and built in the trees round
the ornamental water in the grounds of Gidea Hall, Romford. It was a very dry summer, and
the water being very low, the herons were fast exterminating the fish, when the owner had them
shot. None have built there since. Probably Mr. Christy will give more detailed information
in a separate note.—E. A. F.