Advice needed: A HUGE Blue Heron just ate my prized Koi and Goldfish!

[7.62 x 51mm]

Herons and Egrets don't dive, but go down as far as their long necks allow. Put the cinderblocks/ flagstone shelter/ bog plant stand, under 12-18" the surface. With bog plants on the flagstone, it creates a natural camoflauge for the Koi.

[Pukin Dog]

With the money that Delta's got these days for maintenance, your friend might be safer in Iraq. I'm lucky, as I've got the 777, which is too new to break much.

[annyokie]

I am stealing your toaster gif for election day! ; )

[Pukin Dog]

The pellets are about 1/4 inch in size, and they also get duckweed from another pond.

[Pukin Dog]

Thanks everyone, gotta go.

[Jaysun]

There are far too many FReepers that rush to shoot any wildlife that dare trespass. Me, I love to catch sight of them.

If you shoot them you can look at them - and even pet them - anytime you'd like. I'm kidding, I just couldn't resist.

So what about stretching some type of mesh over the pond until the bird goes away? It seems to me that there isn't any other alternative if you want both your Koi and the Heron to live in peace. You have to put up a security fence. :o)

[annyokie]

I think grellis has the right idea, create some natural barriers and covers for your koi. I have netted my berrie plants for smaller birds and it was a wasted expense. Ditto rabbit fences around my truck garden.

[Not A Snowbird]

I am stealing your toaster gif for election day! ; )

Go right ahead! I have a feeling we'll need a shipment of toasters for all the suicidal trolls on Nov 3!

[dennisw]

I think deeper pond and strung up monofiliment would work. Or protected fish shelters as someone suggested. Big ole pieces of slate mounted on concrete blocks that the fish could swim under to escape the heron.

[annyokie]

Thanks! Mr. Okie and I were talking about the dems going on suicide watch by Nov 3.

[Not A Snowbird]

I've got the 777

Great!

Ron's laughing too much about Delta to think of a snappy comeback. Your heron is giving him flashbacks to his days at Miramar Community Plans and Liaison dealing with fairy shrimp and nesting least terns.

See ya!

[7.62 x 51mm]

LOL, PD!

Buy some large, cheap goldfish and have them *handpainted* by some dope-smoking, smelly, good-time, rock 'roll, hippies. A lot cheaper than *real* Koi. Just kidding.

Try the cinderblock/flag structure; works for my nursery and hundreds of customer installations. Pickle The One-Eyed Cat backs it up, bigtime. He's dropped 20-30lb groundhogs, until I arrived with my Class III AR-15s (silencers and full-auto) and AR-10, and finished them into mush.

[PhiKapMom]

I bet your are right -- I have seen the white ones around but never a blue heron.

[bilhosty]

I know two people with that problem they put nets over their ponds.

[snooker]

"What the hell is a bird like that doing out here anyway?"

Blue Herons have been known to go where the fish are. That's what their wings are for.

We have plenty of Blue Herons around here. Screened enclosures seems to keep them out, but they have been known to break in. Once they find the pond, they will be back.

Blue Herons are not people shy. They will take the bait right out of the bucket beside you. They will try to take the fish right off your line.

[PhiKapMom]

Remind me to take Delta off my list of airlines! :) Usually only fly Southwest unless absolutely necessary to take another airline.

[rintense]

Blue Herons are everywhere in Michigan. And they are MEAN birds. I'd get a dog and let it roam your yard. But make sure its a big dog.

[annyokie]

The white ones around here are egrets. We have some smaller white egrets that the locals call "cow birds" that have a red crest on their heads. You can see them riding around on the backs of the cattle and sometimes horses here.

The bigger ones seem to be solitary, the "cow birds" are in large flocks of up to a hundred or so it appears.

[PhiKapMom]

Have you gotten the Canadian Geese back yet? We had several flocks land in the lake at the end of the green belt. Seems early for them to be back for winter.

There is an overflow at the dam for the lake that goes down the green belt in a small brook through the back part of the lot and with so much rain, the ducks have been riding the water down the green belt, jumping out just down from us and waddling back up to ride the water down all over again. It is hilarious to watch them.

[annyokie]

They never left! We have fewer this year on our property since our "neighbors" about a mile away have domestic geese that are gigantic and they have chased away most of our ducks and the Canadian geese.

My youngest son feeds the ducks, mallards and wood ducks, whole corn every afternoon. The neighbor geese, being fat and no fools have taking to lounging around our boat dock.

The Canadians have the cutest little fuzzy babies. We only saw about twelve this year, though.