This means WAR!

[Dave 54]

Something that worked for a friend of mine was fake/toy fish that floated. He tied it to a rock so that it was just below the water line and came home the 3 of the 5 fake fish where out of the pond in the yard and pretty banged up but he never saw the heron again. And yes herons can float but its not there preferred method of hunting. I think that we all have a special type of hate for those birds Good luck.

Those are the decoy koi that I was telling you about Capewind , one thing I do know about herons though is that if they figure out that your pond is a soft touch to catch nice brightly coloured fish from then you wont get rid of them.
You have to present to them a pond that is so hard to get to , that they say hey stuff this, this is to much hassle to get a meal from and leave.
You have to remember koi were thought up by Man the same as the goldfish when we first started messing with colours that in our fish were a mutation and is something you rarely see in nature which put the dinner sign up for these birds it says "fish you just cant fail to catch, all you can eat".
As such its up to us to defen our fish.
In the UK every koi keeper who lives near a river lives in dread of Otters Arriving as they will clear a pond in just a week end dependent on stocking levels.

rgds

Dave.

 

[capewind]

Well, he keeps coming back, but hasnt gotten near the ponds before he has been spotted and chased off ... This is getting old, and in my mind I have had many unkind thoughts visualizing his demise, but sooner or later he is going to realize that I am more stubborn that he is. If it could read, I would place a big sign for him asking if he is getting bored yet. I survived getting three kids to adulthood, I, and my fish, shall survive him!

 

[Arey]

For throwing, you might try golf balls. They're large enough to look like a thread, and if bounced off a rock of hard surface they also make a loud crack almost like a shot. Every Spring a local mallard couple decide that my pond is the perfect place for them. It usually reached a point where they start climbing out of the pond as soon as they hear my screen door opening. I keep a bucket of balls on my deck beside the screen door. I don't golf but my yard backs up to a golf course and I have a never ending supply of golf balls. I also have a chain link around my back yard with a padlock on the gate, since a lot of golfers like herons and mallards don't understand the concept of private property. As for the Great Blue Heron decoy, one article I read said not tohave one out during the mating season lest every other heron that flys over decides to check it out as a potential mate. They will defend their feeding site from other great blues. Your heron is most likely a year round resident.

 

[addy1]

capewind I fought the heron every day for two summers, it never gave up. This summer with the wide weave netting over the pond, the herons have not even stopped by. We watch them fly over the pond every morning and evening. Even watched one pause in the air and look down.

The only thing I can think of is they see the netting.

I like it cause to me it is not that horrible to look at, does not bother me visually. From the house you don't even really see it. I can work on the pond and lilies without removing it. The way I have it set up I can easily make it higher if need be.

Not the best picture, but here it is 3-4 feet over the water. I do have it draping down to the ground where the heron has fished from the shore before.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Addy your pond look fabulous as usual, and you can hardly even tell there is a net! Good Job!

 

[capewind]

The brat was running late this morning and didnt show up til 8 am. He saw hubby and didnt even attempt to make a landing, just went up to his tree to take a nap ... once he figured out hubby was working in the yard, flew off ... I'm sure he will be back of course, we cant win the battle this easily:-(

 

[addy1]

I watched it work the pond for hours, seeing how it walked up, how it stood, how it fished. It is a hard battle to win, I have not won I am sure, but at least we are at a heron standstill. I am pleased with the net, personally don't like the smaller weave netting.

 

[capewind]

Well, he didnt come back again yesterday, and is late again this morning ... 8:30 am now, and still not here.

 

[capewind]

Just a quick update ... hubby and son were up again early this morning, but watching from inside the house ... It showed up to hang out in its tree (watching and napping) but never even circled the yard ... no one was in the backyard til after 11 am, and he never came down and just flew off after his rest in the tree ... not thinking we are out of the woods by a long shot, but hoping he is starting to get bored ...

 

[callingcolleen1]

Capewind, did it ever occur to you that while you thought you were watching him, he was really watching YOU and waiting for you to leave? Ha ha ha.

 

[capewind]

He can do all the watching he wants ... He was a no show yesterday, and so far this morning (but it is still early). I think it will be back yet ...

 

[callingcolleen1]

It's a trick, I am sure he is lurking in the neighborhood, waiting for the right opportunity......

 

[addy1]

Ours used to fly in and sit on the house roof, looking down at the pond, just waiting for the right moment........for sushi!

 

[capewind]

I figure he is eating all the fish in the next door neighbors pond. Told them on Monday as long as their pond is unprotected, he'll definately keep coming back. Too much effort for them. The house is under agreement pending an inspection, so they really dont care. Tried to hit them in the wallet with asking about the fish, as the buyer is buying the house with pond, and with fish ... implying financial liablity and it fell on deaf ears ... He is still a no show here for today...

 

[callingcolleen1]

Poor fish! Tell the new buyer to join our forum and then he can learn more about ponds!