The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28
THOUSANDS or SJGHy HERONS.
The Strange Colony Established in a Wood
in Rucks County. Pa.

In the township Of Bristol. in ny native
county three miles from the Delavar River"
said a citizen q Bucks county. Pa. is an eie-
waited tract q woodland covering Terhats three
acres. the timber beinR chiefly oak o! ancient
growth. During winter there is nothing un-
usua. in Or about that tract 0! tim ter 10 at
'rac' attention. hut from carry il Aur. until
COD weather comes again there are sights TO
be seen and sound- 10 he heard there that nat
uraliy set The stranger who may happen along
that way 70 much wondering and speculation.
Just why the big. .opg-legGed. 'u'ted birds
should have selected that particular piece o.
woods 10 establish their colony in no one
knows. but thirty years or more ago il was pre-
Ell pied by a pair Of black-crowned night
herons, VINO built their ru3 e mes, Of sticks and
twlgs near the 'op of one ot the oak trees.
There the female deposited four green eggs.
Il is supposed they were green. at least. for
that is the color the night heron chooses as the
hue n: IL eggs. There might have been
more than four eggs in the nest. but II
there were results did no, prove il.
FOR only four young herons came from
the nesting. While the female heron was
engaged in Matching these eggs. her mate
!onrnsyei nightly 70 the Delaware River aud
caught FISH, with which he returned and fed
her. The lun6. harsh cries Of these two birds
in IN" night. and in the daytime il they were
disturbed. 10 d short time earned FOR them
among this adjacent farmers the name OF
quawk. d lOcai name by which the descendants
Of the original pair are known 70 this day. The
four young herons grew and thriYed. When
they were old enough they went fishing nights
themselves. and by and ty establ shed homes
OF their own in the woods.
when the cold weather came in the fall the
family of herons few away southwark. The
nENf Anvil fhar n a mr. izrE .E4 49,
or their descendants have been coming and
going ever s.nce. until now they hold entire
possession Of he woods. not a tree being with
out Il nest during the season. and some trees
part Of the state ar" there any Of these queer
birds. The COLONY numbers thousands. and no
selves elsewhere, All through the summer.
from twilight until surr Sc. this grove is filed
with u" c~;oak!ng Of the herpns as they return
from their fishing and foraging excursions or
' RI" coming OF the niRht herons TO his wood
are as mvs;~ri6us as the coming and going OF
the -wal owS. One day there will he no sight or
SQUAD Of any 81 m. hig blris in, or about the
b" heard coming IN with their far-s0unding
9~lawks. and they keep on coming. until after
hundreds o! them. During the day a person
Ias>inR this tract Of timber would not suspect
ihat II was literally crowded with bird, as
they keep in the trees. But i-t him shout
IOuIIE. or cap ms hands. or make any unusual
noise, and instantly he will he almost deni-ned
toy the cries that come from every tree. and
PERHAPS startled by the ~hrlsfling showing OF
tltted heads and great btaEs thar rise here,
there and everywhere from among the foliage.
When twilight arrTon"hes. though. lui"t aud
peaceiulnesS vanish from the grow. Then
the herons beg II to take night on their 'oraR.
ing trliS. each one making the fact known by
harsh luaWkh.
The night heron isa fisherman above every
thing else. AMI all night long this hcrony is
the scene Of the greatest huhtuh. H~rons are
returning with fish for their nesting
mates or their Young, or going back in quest
OF more. Tons II fish ar" carried 10 theirIOfty
heron nests during the h~at"hlng season.
and crows are industrious and ,~lestruc-
tive enemies Of the heron. and got away with
hosts q eggs and Young birds during the sea-
son. Many battles occur between these rapa-
cion-, Inarhudcrs and the long legged defend
erS Of tho colony.
There Is d tradition that this heron colony
was founded by a pair Of herons which were
the sole survivors Of a colony in the northern
part Of IN" stat" that had existed there for
many vehrs and was DESTROYED hy a forest fire.
J h" two hrrons in SOM" way found the oak
w""ds in Bucks county in their wanderings.
liked 'h", looks Of them. prc-Nmpted a home
there and started the present great colony"