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Message: [QUOTE="YShahar, post: 501444, member: 18187"] One thing that I wanted to add to the build post, but couldn't, due to the limit on the number of photos was my solution to the predator threat. So here's that excerpt: [B]Kingfisher issues[/B] As soon as the pond was filled, the kingfishers showed up! [IMG alt="Kingfisher-closeup.jpg"]https://www.gardenpondforum.com/attachments/kingfisher-closeup-jpg.152649/[/IMG] We had put four small comets and five shubunkins in the pond, but as soon as the water cleared enough to really see them, they had been gobbled up by kingfishers! Something had to be done, and fast. Netting the whole pond was out, since a) the pond is meant to be part of a larger landscape and I didn't want anything interfering with the reflections off the water, the lines of sight, etc. and b) for the most part, I want the local wildlife, including birds, to have access to the pond. So what do do? Fortunately, being in Israel, figuring out how to defend against bad stuff falling from the sky is something of a local specialty. Hence, we have cool gadgets like Iron Dome to protect us against missiles fired by our friendly neighbors, etc. And so, without further ado, I give you... Iron Net! [IMG alt="Waterfall-netting-hybiscus-flowers_14Jun22_web.jpg"]https://www.gardenpondforum.com/attachments/waterfall-netting-hybiscus-flowers_14jun22_web-jpg.151665/[/IMG] Basically, this is just a bit of fencing material stretched across the pond and floated on ziplock bags full of wine corks. Not exactly beautiful, but it worked! The fencing was unwieldy and had a tendency to bend and buckle rather than lay flat. And after having the ziplock bags of corks get repeatedly dislodged, I finally drilled holes in the corks and strung them along pieces of bonsai wire, then formed the wires into a ring, with more corks-on-wires forming "spokes" across the ring: [IMG alt="Netting and goldfish_16June22-web.jpg"]https://www.gardenpondforum.com/attachments/netting-and-goldfish_16june22-web-jpg.151767/[/IMG] The ugly corks were eventually replaced by fishing floats. Once the fish were bigger and less of a morsel for the kingfishers, I removed the net altogether. [/QUOTE]

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