Heron

[Dougy]

Well that's my fish gone out of the pond.

Mrs D says there's a huge bird just flown past the window. I'm thinking a pigeon that's she's been feeding. But minutes later i get up to make a brew and see what was my last goldfish in its bloody beak.  Down and gone, rushed out the door and it takes off and lands on a roof top digesting the last fish. 🤢😫

[old'un]

We lost a few fish some years ago when Herons moved into the nature reserve across the road, since then we netted our pond but they still come into the garden and stand looking at the fish, a lump of dirt usually puts them off for a bit.

[Dougy]

It didn't help seeing the fish get swallowed. 

 

[old'un]

Don't know why the bloody things are protected, if they can catch, kill (not always) and swallow it they will.

[Nublue 22]

8 minutes ago, Dougy said:

It didn't help seeing the fish get swallowed. 

 

Predatory birds galore, in one day there's a Heron, Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard, flying or landing in our garden, oh and now the Gull's have arrived. I wonder what's happened to our Song thrushs, not seen or heard them for a few year now. PS Squirrels to. 

[old'un]

7 minutes ago, Nublue 22 said:

Predatory birds galore, in one day there's a Heron, Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard, flying or landing in our garden, oh and now the Gull's have arrived. I wonder what's happened to our Song thrushs, not seen or heard them for a few year now. PS Squirrels to. 

Agreed, there's some ancient meadows not far from home, for years it was well known for its Sky Larks, then Badgers moved into the old railway embankment, the set is now about 30+ yards long, I have not seen a Sky Lark on those fields for the last 10-12 years.

[Dougy]

I quite often see them out at night in fields while I'm out. I've never been too sure what their after assuming anything that comes their way. 

I'm sure it was Phil Drabble that started a heronary not far from us at Abbits Bromley. Staffordshire wild life Trust. Locals weren't too happy, specially the fly fisheries. 

Edited April 1 by Dougy

[Westley]

I remember a few years ago, a guy that I knew was having trouble with a Heron taking his fish from the garden pond. He got up before dawn and lay by the side of the pond where he knew the Heron was landing. He then covered himself with a cammo net. When the Heron landed, he reached out from under the net, grabbing one of its legs. Apparently there was much flapping and squawking before he let it go. It never returned. 

 

[Dougy]

11 minutes ago, Westley said:

I remember a few years ago, a guy that I knew was having trouble with a Heron taking his fish from the garden pond. He got up before dawn and lay by the side of the pond where he knew the Heron was landing. He then covered himself with a cammo net. When the Heron landed, he reached out from under the net, grabbing one of its legs. Apparently there was much flapping and squawking before he let it go. It never returned. 

 

That's an idea.  Mmm..

I think the dogs will be 1st choice..

[countryman]

I am having the same problem with a Heron, I can tell you the full size plastic ones you can buy don’t put them off, if anything I think it thinks it’s a mate for it.

[Dougy]

Mrs D put a blooming glitter ball in the garden. That didn't help much, and I don't even ike ballroom dancing. 

[JKD]

The most used and obvious solution to this sort of problem is netting across the pond, or around the sides. Anything to hamper the herons getting close too, or in the margins 👍 Failing that,,,, wrap yourself in camo netting and,,,, 😆😂

[Windswept]

We sort of stopped the herons from eating our fish. Netting on one side of the pond so the fish could have some cover, and fence around the pond to stop them wading in.  The fish survived several attacks.... until an otter turned up and ate every last one.

[Westley]

2 hours ago, countryman said:

I am having the same problem with a Heron, I can tell you the full size plastic ones you can buy don’t put them off, if anything I think it thinks it’s a mate for it.

I remember once doing a talk to an OAP group and I was asked why their plastic Heron did not keep the real thing away  ? I managed to convince the lovely lady that she had bought a 'Female' plastic Heron, and as such was attracting Male Herons to her pond. She planned on taking it back to the shop to exchange it  !  😊

[countryman]

19 minutes ago, Westley said:

I remember once doing a talk to an OAP group and I was asked why their plastic Heron did not keep the real thing away  ? I managed to convince the lovely lady that she had bought a 'Female' plastic Heron, and as such was attracting Male Herons to her pond. She planned on taking it back to the shop to exchange it  !  😊

😂

[Vince Green]

On 01/04/2024 at 17:29, JKD said:

The most used and obvious solution to this sort of problem is netting across the pond, or around the sides. Anything to hamper the herons getting close too, or in the margins 👍 Failing that,,,, wrap yourself in camo netting and,,,, 😆😂

This

Netting over the pond is the only thing that works in my experience 

[crossy 666]

On 03/04/2024 at 20:49, Vince Green said:

This

Netting over the pond is the only thing that works in my experience 

I netted mine and it looked a mess so I put fishing lines around the outside and that looked a lot better 

[JKD]

6 minutes ago, crossy 666 said:

I netted mine and it looked a mess so I put fishing lines around the outside and that looked a lot better 

Obviously, aesthetics comes into play with netting etc. The point is to disrupt the herons from landing and taking off. If they don't feel safe then they won't approach/hang around the pond for very long 👍 So basically, anything that creates herons an unsafe area, the better for us and the fish 😁

[Minky]

My sister had goldfish in a garden pond and she found a large grass snake wastak8ng the fish.  She used a (sort of cone) net and caught the blighter.  She took it down a couple of large fields away (1/4) mile away to a small river and let it loose on the bank.  Two days later a snake was back in her pond. She thought that it looked like the one that she had taken away, so she captured the  blighter again and  this time she painted an X on its head with nail varnish.  The miscreant was taken off to the river again. Two days later the identified beast was back...?  this time the painted snake was taken several miles away. I don't think that it found its way back this time. 

[shaun4860]

17 hours ago, Minky said:

My sister had goldfish in a garden pond and she found a large grass snake wastak8ng the fish.  She used a (sort of cone) net and caught the blighter.  She took it down a couple of large fields away (1/4) mile away to a small river and let it loose on the bank.  Two days later a snake was back in her pond. She thought that it looked like the one that she had taken away, so she captured the  blighter again and  this time she painted an X on its head with nail varnish.  The miscreant was taken off to the river again. Two days later the identified beast was back...?  this time the painted snake was taken several miles away. I don't think that it found its way back this time. 

Give it time 😳