Too much nature

[j.w]

I had some fish line over mine at one time and hated it. Like you said you can't get into the pond and it makes it hard to use the long handled net and I didn't like the look of it. Now don't have a net, just all the other stuff I mentioned and haven't seen a Heron in a year or so. It helps that when my one big cat is out she would stalk and chase them off and lie in wait for them. She's a real hunter cat! She has a bunch of bells on her collar and hardly ever gets a little bird now..........she's getting older and I hate it when she does manage to catch one :sad:

 

[Fishylove]

no problems with Heron here, just Redtail Hawks, and I just use my sons little BB gun to scare them away. They fly around when Tolbert is outside, lol, but they'd have a rude awakening if they tried to fly off with him! Couple have swooped down over him, the BB gun isn't strong enough to hurt them, I just anoys them more than anything lol

 

[sissy]

If I had to put that around my pond and hide it I would probably trip over it and fall in so no herons please

 

[SE18]

When I lived in central arkansas, the herons were a major predator of the numerous fish ponds there. I'm not sure how they handled the problem or if heron meat tastes good. If the specie isn't threatened or endangered and is edible, that seems to be a good thing for solving the hunger problem.

Dave

 

[Ruben Miranda]

Hello
I did this to my pond when I had a raccoon problem and Heron
It is ugly but it is framed and light so I could take it off when I was home and at night put it back on.


I know the raccoon was around becuase his poop was around but the fish where safe at night and when I was not home.

I am thinking about rebuilding it and putting it back up before spring. Just to be safe

Ruben m.

 

[addy1]

Nice job Ruben, but with mine no way could I do something like that.

 

[gardengimp]

Well, well, well. Very nice surprise met me in the pond earlier this week. Walked by one afternoon, and low and behold - two of our adult goldfish survived the carnage!

I'm not sure where they were hiding before I opened up the connecting pipe, but since I saw them earlier this week, I've found them a few times inside the fort I built from stacked milk crates. Plus I think they may be hanging out inside the pipe. They are both very spooked and scooby, one of them looks as if it might have some scale damage on the side, but hard to tell because they run away really fast. Not much interested in eating, and hanging out very near the fish fort.

Hubs and I considered this very good news!

 

[addy1]

Great to hear!

 

[capewind]

That's great to hear. I have come to the conclusion that unless you drain a pond, dont assume all are missing. Both our main pond & the comet pond (bog in progress) are almost bare naked of plants, and you would think with the water being crystal clear, you can see all... Fish are magicians LOL... We have two young comets (Shadow and Pumpkin LOL) who rode the water fall back to the main pond (hubby wants the main pond to be goldfish free)... Since it started getting cold (fish move slower), I hunt for Shadow and Pumpkin constantly (I mentally count all fish to make sure no one is missing)... I keep going days and even a week or two, and can not find these two comets! Then out of no where, they make a showing again LOL. I dont have any problems at all locating the smallest koi out there, and a few are still pretty small (7-9"),,, Shadow and Pumpkin are not that much smaller, being in the 6-7" range. Sure, it could be reasonable to have a hard time finding Shadow, as in the water, its coloring is near black (dark brown with some gold edging), but Pumpkin is bright orange LOL.

 

[j.w]

Great news Dianne

 

[Ruben Miranda]

Hello
Oh that is good new's

Yea they will be very skittish for a while but until you know they are safe you want them skittish. anything moves above gound you want them to go and hide.

Ruben

 

[adavisus]

Yups, it can spook fish for some weeks, the big bad bird.

Spreading black plastic trash bags can be good additional cover in winter, invisible to look at underwater, very tangly if Mr. Heron tries to wade

 

[gardengimp]

BIG BAD BIRD STRIKES OUT!

Another Friday, and Big Bird must have decided he wanted to stop by the sushi bar. I opened the front door heading off on a mission for a good ripe tomato, and bam! Big Bird is sitting there pulling his beak up out of the netting over the pond. I came back in the house for hubby and the camera, came back out and he took off for the neighbors roof. I proceeded to sit in my deck chair on the front porch and wait him out.

After a bit, he flies in and lands in an open spot in the lawn. Walks up to the sidewalk to the pond, carefully stepping through and over some pineapple plants. Purposefully heads for his favorite spot at the bar.

Carefully climbs up and steps over the stone edging and 18" metal garden edging, then tries to walk out on the netting which is stretched taunt between bamboo poles.

He didn't care at all for that wiggliness and bounce house effect.

A really good photo tells a story. This photo has a bunch of unseen pieces. Such as the bird is staring at our glass front door. Immediately to the other side of the door is a large 75lb male Belgian Shepherd utilizing his commanding ferocious 'you do not belong here' bark.

Big Bird decides he is safe from the barking dog and saunters on over to the other side of the pond. Finds a conveniently placed bridge over the water and methodically climbs over some rocks and orchid pots and up on the driftwood.

Fish! I see Fish!

Our two remaining adult goldfish are starting to hang out in the sun a bit more. Silly fish, don't they realize there is a Big Bad Bird right over their shoulders!!!!

Fortunately, Big Bird finally huffed off in frustration. Hopefully to find a more natural sushi bar stool.

I yoinked hubby dearest after big bird left and did a slight remodel on the driftwood. There is now airspace between the netting and the driftwood. The netting is too flimsy to give the bird a good perch, yet the bird did not get tangled up in the netting, nor get his beak caught up in it. More good. The 18" fencing though, by itself would not be sufficient to keep a big bird out, as he simply climbed it. Walked right up, stuck a claw up on the top rung and climbed right on up. If the netting had not been in the way, I'm quite sure he would have tried to step down on the pond side of the fencing.

The fencing though is serving a purpose with the visiting mammals. What is with the Friday drop in visitors???? I walked out Saturday morning to find the stones from the one small section of the pond without the fencing tumbled into the water. Something had to have tried stepping on them and sending them over the edge. So, the fencing will stay. I do think I will eventually replace parts with a taller fence, as I get finished putzing with the edges and getting some plants in place. Oh, and my pineapple barrier obviously needs to be more dense.

 

[addy1]

Beautiful pictures! Loose netting works great, they don't like the non secure footing.
I too, sit and watch the bird to see how it might be able to get into the pond. Better to know then guess.

They are neat looking birds, but sure do love sushi, frogs, crickets.

My fencing is very loosely strung 2 foot high chicken wire, it does not give it any purchase to climb over it. I like the fact you can't really see it with all the plants I have. The netting I use is fish netting, 5 inch wide holes, but strung over the pond 3-4 feet high above the water. If the bird decides to land on it, it will give and most likely snag a foot. The new little subunkin pond (1000k gallons) I need to figure out a good way to protect the fish, it will be a perfect shushi bar for the bird. Most likely the same netting as over the big pond, strung up high, (ow the netting interferes with the lilies growing) around the edge, most likely deer fencing, black not real obvious to the eyes.

No fish in the pond yet, all the lilies are in it until spring.

 

[j.w]

Great pix GG and good info on how the bird works. I too noticed they can climb right over the fence so I added some stakes around my pond w/ wire attached. Still have the fence cuz he'd just duck under the wire w/o it. Had to put reinforcement wire between the gaps in the fence as he was able to squeeze right through the spaces w/o it. W/ all the other things I have done, mostly the radio on a timer seems to be helping keep the bird away from my pond. Either that or he's found a much easier pond to fish from. I don't have a net over mine or a dog. Cat patrols help also!