THE HISTORY OF ESSEX HERONRIES. 261
The heronry is well placed for feeding purposes as it is close to
Lawling Creek. There is a rookery in trees not far from the
heronry. The trees in use are chestnut, oak and ash.
The heronry at the Lea Valley Reservoirs had started not
later than 1914, in which year a nest from which young had
flown was found. During their earlier attempts to nest the
Herons were much molested by the many Carrion Crows which
frequent this locality. The Heronry is situated on the more
easterly of the islands on No. 5 Reservoir, which is adjacent to
Coppermill Lane. Eleven nests were counted in 1922, fourteen
in 1924, nine in 1927, five in 1928 and forty-seven in 1934.
Mr. R. W. Pethen who was responsible for the count in 1934
made a detailed inspection of the colony during his visit on 4th
June of that year. All the nests were built on hawthorns,
thirty-two in number. Twenty-one trees each had one nest,
nine had each two, and two trees each had four nests. The
observer was surprised to find so many large nests on such
small and apparently frail trees. None of the nests was more
than twenty feet from the ground and many were considerably
less. By pushing against the trunks of the trees the nests could
be made to sway. There were several young birds in the nests
unable to fly. Seventy-six Herons were counted in flight.
Since its inception the heronry has been confined to the same
island, but it is stated that a pair nested on the island on No. 3
Reservoir in 1933.
The heronry on Skipper's Island, which is in Hamford Water
and near Kirby-le-Soken, is probably the smallest in the County.
Although it was not recorded until 1930 it appears to have
been in existence many years. It is stated to have lapsed
from about 1915 to 1921. Recently there have been usually
seven or eight nests. I visited this colony on 19th April, 1930.
I found four nests in somewhat dwarfed elms, but only one
nest was occupied and an egg shell was found under this nest.
The ninth and last of the existing heronries is situated on Bolt
Hall Farm, which lies a little to the west and north of Canewdon.
The colony was not recorded until 1933, but I am informed that
at the time of my visit on 29th April, 1933, it had been in existence
ten or twelve years. The Herons had chosen a row of high
hedgerow elms in which to build their nests. The line of elms
runs roughly from north to south and is situated on rising