Posted on 09/03/2004 5:48:01 PM PDT by Pukin Dog
I hate to break up this big news day with a personal request, but I need some advice from anyone who knows about how to prevent a Blue Heron from attacking my Koi pond?
I just arrived home to find this HUGE Blue Heron standing in the middle of my pond, swallowing what I discovered to be the last of my (very expensive) Koi. All my fish, some costing me between $100 and $300 are gone.
The Heron just lifted off with a belly full of fish; an amazing site, as this thing had to have a 6'ft wing span, and is now sitting on the roof of my house. My guess is that the Frogs are next?
I live in Mira Mesa, jogging distance to MCAS Miramar. What the hell is a bird like that doing out here anyway? Suggestions are welcome.
Golden Retrievers would be good. I REALLY love this breed. Plus they will retrieve the heron once you shoot it.
Option 2: use 4 piers of cinderblocks stood on-end, with a 4-6ft of irregular flagstone on top, to provide shelter and refuse for the fish, under 12-18" of surface water.
Bog plants can be placed on the topside.
We do this regularly with every water garden/ pond we install. Works great.
"Cant shoot it. I wouldn't anyway. The thing is beautiful. I aint no environmentalist, but that bird is incredible."
I agree, I wouldn't shoot one if I could. We have a lot of sandhill cranes here as well but they mostly pick around in the grass and cornfields,
Herons wade.... they don't swim or dive.
What actually happens is "Fish dies, floats, rots, and poisons surviving fish."
I have a big heron who sort of hangs in my back yard on our lake. He is a sweetie. He could be pukin's heron's first cousin. I vote to spare him.
Pukin, now you couldn't kill a sweet ole boy like that heron. And really, who cares about fish anyway.
Shoot the bastard.
I appreciate your outlook. There are far too many FReepers that rush to shoot any wildlife that dare trespass. Me, I love to catch sight of them.
I am not normally one to advocate killing birds and I happen to love great blues. I have not, however, lost anything as a result of one. Best of luck in whatever you decide.
Actually, at my workplace, we run fishing line across our ponds in a grid pattern to keep the geese away. It works.
Get a beeber and stun his a$$
I hate it when I type a long post in this window and then stupidly hit escape twice. Should type in Word, I guess.
This will be briefer--just some guesses of a brain-storming sort.
1) A screened geodesic dome over the pond and enough adjacent yard for perhaps a table for outdoor mosquito free dining, perhaps?
2) A plastic coated wire mesh sufficiently small to keep largish fish away from birds and other critters. Check with Koi pond experts for any problems with this idea.
3) An arbor over which you grew bougenvilla or wisteria and perhaps bamboo or other plantings around 3 sides or so of the pond such that any birds would have to come very close to the house to get to the pond--and such that the pond could not be seen from the air. All the better if one had a very alert dog in the back yard. A terrier or setter would likely be very inclined to go after the birds. Not sure of the legal implications of that.
4) An electric fence sort of transformer and a set of thin wires cris-crossing the pond such that a large bird would be unable to lite and fish. Of course, I don't know what voltages etc. would be terminal for the bird--incurring perhaps legal problems.
5) It MIGHT BE that large plastic or even paper mache coated in plastic durable enough for outdoors--sculptures--realistic sculptures of an eagle or two or maybe a large cat or two MIGHT work. But I'd sure not risk expensive fish just to that!
6) It's conceivable that you might be able to create or commission a suitable moving art piece big enough for the pond that it would not be safe for the bird to lite anywhere in the pond and fish. Could be expensive.
7) Perhaps a bamboo sort of sculpture would be cheap enough if you designed and made it yourself. But a non-moving one would have to take over virtually all the air space over the pond to be very effective. It's possible half to 3/4 coverage would provide the fish enough room to run and hide. But birds tend to be smarter than fish.
I suppose a very, very big cat might help but the food bill would be a pain and cats are not overly dependable to do what YOU want them to do--much less WHEN you want them to. Then, you'd likely have to protect the fish from the cat, too.
Welllllllllllll--sorry but I think that's all the brainstorming I'm good for on that topic.
Blessings. Please let me know how it goes. I used to live on Governor Dr.
About two weeks ago a baby american eagle came in my yard and sat on my hammock stand not ten feet from my kitchen door. I was astounded and didn't know what he was at first as his head was not bald or white. Then he tried to fly and had a hard time and I realized he was a baby. He was gorgeous, just stared , magnificent bird. I went out and he finally got in a tree, a huge bird was circling overhead. I thought the nearest eagle to me was down in the New Orleans area but we have one. Haven't seen him since. I thought it was an omen that GWB was going to win.
We've had a Blue Heron in our yard every summer for at least 10 years.
Buy cheap fish and enjoy the Heron's majestic flight.
I'll be getting a net for the pond and see how that works.
~smiles~
What a neat thing to see. I am in Washington State and Bald Eagles are common, and while I have seen adult-sized birds still in their plain brown juvenile color, I've never seen a really young one.
Hopefully he made it back up where he should be with his folks. I've flight instructed, and the first solo of a ~student~ is scary indeed...
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