First predator visit

[j.w]

Ha Ha that would be funny toad. Don't think the critters will rub his belly tho....................well maybe a monkey might................what no monkeys in Maryland

 

[addy1]

laughing jw, no monkeys here, well except in zoos.

 

[toadfarm]

my party guests like to rub his belly for good luck. No monkeys that i know of. My kids can sometimes be accused of being monkeys.

 

[addy1]

Aren't all kids. I had herons flying over all summer, but they never stopped. They probably flew over to your pond.

 

[fishin4cars]

I've heard that a Heron decoy works also. They're territorial birds. Did you attract other swans to visit?

Don't waste your money on a heron decoy! They simply do not work! I agree with the concept but I have seen first hand that the decoy can just as easily attact mate to the pond and if the real one figures out there is a fake bird he'll take over the pond and ignore the decoy, even if moved. Make sure and keep netting at least 10-12" over the water surface. Overhead fishing lines really do about the best, but i have also tried flashing CD's and bright objects. I'll even resort to a BB gun as well as firecrackers. what ever it takes because once they start feeding they will stay as long as they are catching food until they empty the pond. Best of luck!

 

[Waterbug]

I know this is America and we love to break laws we don't like and shootin' stuff is always a good idea. But saying you do this in a public forum might not be a great idea. Should your neighbors happen to be one of those law and order types, and also like wildlife, and reports you, a post in a public forum could really hurt you in court. Judges don't like law breakers much but they really hate people who thumb their noses at the law. The fine for shooting a Great Blue with a BB gun according to the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 1998 is a max of $100,000, plus lawyer fees. Not that this would ever be any kind of deterrent. I think most people would have to experience a legal crap storm before kind of thinking maybe this isn't such a good idea.

Since a BB gun could lead to a long slow painful death you might consider using a shotgun. It's more humane and I don't think the fine would be any greater.

Of course there is the downside of it only working for that one bird. It's not like they all meet up at a bar later and say "Wow, don't fly over to Mr Smith's house, he's got a BB gun and isn't afraid to use it".

I found 30lb or better fishing line strung high above the pond worked very well. Spaced about 3' apart. Easy to do if you have trees and/or structures around the pond. Nice that people don't really notice it and it's out of the way. Herons and ducks can see the line so it doesn't harm them. It kept Great Blues out as I could see them standing on the neighbor's roof trying to figure out a way in. Mallards would stop and hover a bit above the lines, adjust and fly between them which was pretty impressive. Egrets still came in by landing in a tree and climbing down inside the tree to get to the pond. They would also walk in, they had no issue with being under the string.

I've never heard of any kind of decoy ever working. There are those motion detection devices that spray water. I heard they worked but were difficult to set up and get working properly.

 

[Waterbug]

 

[pond new1]

Had my first one today. Great White Egret...clapped a few times and it scooted away. (Milton, MA )

 

[addy1]

The herons, so far, have been held off by the alligators I have floating in my pond.

 

[mfwing82]

just a few little ones left all big fish gone did not get decoy out in time.

 

[addy1]

Darn, hate to hear that. Those suckers are persistent, very patient.
I put deer fencing over my pond side to side when we go away, but when home just run one piece down the center so it can't decide to fly in. They need wing room.

 

[taherrmann4]

Well I have seen the heron visiting every couple of days but have not noticed any population decline with my goldfish. Tonight about 8:30pm my wife was looking outside and noticed the heron standing in my pond with a gold fish in his mouth. So now I think I am going to have to do some sort of prevention and weighing the options to take. Really do not want to cover the pond with any netting. The heron is huge too must have a 4' wingspan at least.

 

[addy1]

I found that the 2 foot high chicken wire kept it from walking into the pond, just put at any area it could walk in. The floating gator heads, did even a better job. It would not even try to get near the pond, just stare at them, circle the pond and walk out into the yard and eat bugs. Two different looking heads.

Both tied to a rock on fishin line so they moved in the breeze, constantly moved, one at each end of the pond.

I do have one piece of netting over the pond, due to the size of my pond one could fly in and land at the "walk out end" With that one piece of netting down the middle, it can't fly in, they need room with that wing span.

I have been seeing it fly over almost daily, high up, going west in the evening east in the morning, but it has not done a stop by.

 

[taherrmann4]

Where did you get your gator head?

 

[addy1]

let me look it up for you. give me a few

one is a bird x gator head, ebay

http://www.ebay.com/...-All-Categories

I need to find the info on the second one. The heron really paid a lot of attention to the bird x gator head. Stared at it, but never went near the pond. The second head I bought a month or so later for the other end of the pond.