All gone...

[Ruben Miranda]

Hello
Sorry to here of your loss.
The decoys only work for a while.
I used the plastic coated chicken wire as I also have Racoons trying to get the fish also and they just pull the net apart and make a mess.

Ruben

 

[Usman]

dontworry its sad but nature , hope some fry there , they will grow up , you can add some selective good ones from shop too and do all precautions . netting or give them places to hide , rocks plants etc , i see some herons in a back natural lake but they never landed around our house , may b too many plants

 

[Nepen]

I have a crate for them to hide under. I'll be adding more crates. The problem is my lilies are still dormant so the pond has no cover in winter. That i should leave the leaves net on until my lily is growing is another matter

I'm thinking electric fence... but most of the ones i look (that i like the look of, are from the UK.. wondering why no US seller wants to sell those curved ones, they looks nice. I dont want the plastic ones, so will see.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-x-Galla...ost-With-Insulated-Wire-Holders-/122033074663

I'm thinking about putting trills at the corner of the pond then just use that as the post to tie my strings and also can plant some nice plants on it. but my pond is irregular shape, not sure how to cover all the area.

 

[TAHOE]

I have a crate for them to hide under. I'll be adding more crates. The problem is my lilies are still dormant so the pond has no cover in winter. That i should leave the leaves net on until my lily is growing is another matter .

That's the thing about BH's, they will stand it the water for hours like a statue until the fish feel it's safe to come out and bam, gone! You are going to have to put up some type of netting or something over pond.

 

[Nepen]

yea... looking around for the net with tiny holes right now... I have willow oak, and the leaves are needle shape so if i need to leave the net up I want to make sure the leaves wont go though too.

 

[addy1]

How did you string your net? I thought you used fishing line and just tied over the pond, no?

I had fishing line over the pond, the bird went through it. My pond is not conducive to easy covering.

It is a gill net for fishing. 4 inch weave. It comes white but I had them dip it in the black coating to make it uv resistant. This is its 3-4th year, can't recall. I weave a rope through the edge of the net to give it some shape and for attaching to the posts around the pond.

Here is a picture of what it looks like right now.

The wire is for snow load, I remove it during the summer.
The rope is around the entire net, makes it easy to hang it up on the fence posts. Red arrows

I tried smaller weave nets, but broke my heart to find small birds drowned under it from getting trapped. This net traps nothing, just stops the heron.

 

[addy1]

This is a over view right now, just the two ponds with arrows have the net covering them. The others are fish less unless a egg wanders in.

 

[Nepen]

Thanks Addy!! I'm still debating. I'm trying to figure what to do it i do just a wide net like yours then in fall i'll have to use a different net for the leaves. If I use the leaves net now then I dont have to think about fall later.

Then I think about just the fence wire around it, make it decorative too, and just add the leaves net over it in fall. Right now I have time to think

I might do something similar to this guy https://stevescape.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/pond-thief/

Or I might want something that I can lift off the pond when we want to enjoy it. I spend a lot of time sitting or standing near the pond too...

 

[Usman]

was watching clips thinking if this fish cud have been saved by distracting the bird? ate beautiful big fish which was alive


A Heron with my favorite Koi - YouTube

then saw this how it hunts , intense ! and see its reach and speed
Heron Kills Prize Koi - Caught on Pondcam - YouTube

blue heron eating my koi - YouTube

Landing in between electric fence
Heron visit again now with higher electric fence - YouTube

 

[addy1]

The idea that guy has is great, but with my pond would be difficult. I like the net I am using, don't even notice it now, it does not bother me visually or bother the birds, frogs, dragonfly's etc .

I tried a fence the bird jumped over it, dove through fishing line, ignored the gators, so the net is going to be permanent. And the fish usually hang out in the straight side 5.5 foot deep area, the bird could care less. Stood on the bank and fished in the deep end.

Oh and I put in a neat floating island, the bird landed on it, their balance is wonderful, and fished from it. Island gone.

 

[Usman]

The idea that guy has is great, but with my pond would be difficult. I like the net I am using, don't even notice it now, it does not bother me visually or bother the birds, frogs, dragonfly's etc .

I tried a fence the bird jumped over it, dove through fishing line, ignored the gators, so the net is going to be permanent. And the fish usually hang out in the straight side 5.5 foot deep area, the bird could care less. Stood on the bank and fished in the deep end.

Oh and I put in a neat floating island, the bird landed on it, their balance is wonderful, and fished from it. Island gone.

seems to be nothing can work , bird is very intelligent and skillful , only thing is netting which should be away from water surface a foot or more as it can still kill fish if its near , i saw some people complaining that too with netting . dont think any height or border without net will work as it can land on the water and swim too , it doesnot mind any decoy , it can dodge dogs as it can come early morning and very silent i saw in some videos , it even walks on net , hunts under plastic cover

 

[Tula]

Wow! I think a net is the only way to go.

 

[Nepen]

Yea seems the only thing is netting.

 

[cas]

So glad you found a couple hiding.

 

[addy1]

it even walks on net

I had deer fencing as a net for a bit, and yep it landed on the deer fencing and walked around.

It can not land on this wide weave netting, at least it has not in the past xx years.