Heron found my pond

[barb]

My luck ran out on my 2 1/2 year old pond.  It's right next to the house and deck, and I had hoped herons would never find it.  But yesterday I found a big dark grey feather on a rock next to the pond, and my koi was missing.  This morning I got up only to find a lily pot overturned, and all my fish missing.  Searching and searching under the hyacinths I finally spotted one goldfish and some babies, but my pretty Sarassas goldfish are nowhere to be found.    :'(  So now I need to figure out how to keep the herons out and what remaining fish I have in.  I was thinking of spreading some kind of netting a foot above the pond on stakes?  I have (or had, didn't see them this morning which is unusual) four frogs also living in the pond, so I want them to be able to come and go.   Also our two cats drink from the pond.  So is it possible to leave some openings around the pond, or will the darn birds wiggle their way through anyway?  And no, I don't want to kill the darn bird, although wringing it's neck does sound tempting.   

Editing to say that I see at least one member (dennis) here surrounds his pond with fishing line, and criss-crosses it?  That sounds so simple, and less of an eyesore than bird netting.  How much criss-crossing, and how high above the pond would be best?  I'm desperate for any heron-deterrent advice.  I'm not sure a floating alligator head would work, since we don't have alligators here, though....but please, any humane suggestions will be taken into consideration!!  And I would LOVE to see pictures of what people do to protect their ponds from herons.

[reddad35]

They make motion senson water sprinkles. Bird lands and the sprinkler kicks on.

[barb]

But wouldn't that also spray our frogs and cats?  We really love our frogs.   

Editing to say we also love our cats.  LOL

[Esther]

I have marginal plantings around my pond that have filled in thick enough to keep the heron out. From what I understand, they walk in to the pond rather than landing in it. But I also had a pot tipped over one time and wondered if it had tried to land on it. But the heron used to come before I had put up the fence and the marginals hadn't grown up  yet so we have to outwit the bird by getting the fence put up early.

I made a little cheap fence around the open sides of my pond. It allows the small animals to come to the water but the heron will not be able to step over it. They don't think to lift their feet over things I guess. I've heard they don't like walking through tangly stuff.

The fence is made out of left over deck spindles. I cut them in half, and put a point on one end. I drilled two holes through the stakes, decided how many I would need. They were placed maybe 3-4' apart and sunk in the ground maybe 6". Then I ran clothesline rope or cord through the holes and tied knots at the outside edge of the end stakes. I'll look through my PHotobucket and see if I have a picture. I think it is short enough that it doesn't detract from the look of the pond but it also deters larger animals, dogs, children from the pond. Notice I said deters as I do realize it will not keep children from falling in to the pond. I do not consider it a security fence.  I pull the stakes out in the fall and roll up the whole thing and then bring it out in the spring. Usually I can find the holes for the stakes and just stick them right back.

I have considered using larger permanent stakes and mounting solar lights on the top. Hey, would conduit work? Or that shiny aluminum pipe used on dog kennels or those kind of temporary roof thingys they use at flea markets. Then the solar light could just sit in the top of the pipe and would have a modern look, depending what you like.

My Scarecrow motion sensor sprayer not only sprayed the dog, neighbor, DH, mailman, and ME but it was constantly being triggered by the waterfall or the ripples in the pond I guess. I couldn't seem to get it set to work the way I wanted. Eventually I sold it to someone on this forum.

Here's a picture taken about three years ago. Today, the surrounding marginals have gone crazy and are about 3' tall. Next spring I have to get in the pond and tear them out as they are escaping the pond and wandering into the soil next to it.

[Kat]

Sorry to hear about your fish     I haven't found a good way to get rid of herons 

[barb]

Esther, I do remember your fence from previous pond pics.  Don't you have ajuga growing in one section?  If so, I do think I remember seeing your pretty pond.

Editing to say yes!  I do remember your pond.  It's so pretty.   Thank you for sharing it again.  I've often considered a similar fence to yours.

Here is what my pond looks like right now.  I do have a spindly wire fence to deter my 4 year old, and some plantings.  It didn't seem to stop the carnage, though.  I can't believe he came right up to the house.  If it wasn't for that feather, I'd be scratching my head and thinking raccoons.  But the feather couldn't possibly belong to any of the smaller birds I usually see around here.  It was like a calling card left by the bird.  *sigh*







Poor unsuspecting little fishies from just last week:


The two sarassas I did find a little while ago!!  I moved all the plants around and could just spot them on the bottom.  I absolutely cannot find the koi and two of the goldfish, and after moving things around there was no other place for them to hide.  But at least I'm not completely cleaned out.

[tracey_shafer]

We finally put up stakes around the ponds something like Esthers fence but with just fishing line. We had tried the scarecrow sprinkler at the same time but the line is what worked. He would land and try walking up to the pond and get stopped by the line. I haven't seen him in a month now after constant summer visits here. And as for the floating crock, I have read of them landing on them and feeding.

[Esther]

Well yah, tracey, they know enough to recognize a living thing I would guess. I have heard they scope out a pond several days doing flyovers and then sit and watch from a neighbor's roof or tall tree. Probably learning our comings and going or if there are dogs.  Our neighbors came running one day and said we had one on our roof. The neighbor kids were dieing to use their bb gun on it but of course their mom wouldn't let them.

By the way Barb, our pond is so close to the front of our house that we have just a narrow boardwalk there so I don't think they're much intimidated by anything. For one thing, they seem to do their dirty work mostly early in the morning when not much is moving. Although, one afternoon about 6:00 a neighbor saw a heron with a bright orange beak, standing in the neighbors yard. Then she realized the bright orange beak was one of my fish. She ran at it but of course it just ran a couple of steps and departed with my male Wakin. She sat there for 30 minutes waiting for me to come home. Then she went around the neighborhood and told the neighbors to help her keep an eye out for the heron. LOL.

Tracey, you wouldn't recognize the pond today from that picture. The marginals are huge and I won't have to worry about leaves blowing across the lawn into the pond this fall.

[LeeAnne151]

Our fence looks very similar to Esther's but DH used bamboo stakes about 1" thick and copper tubing so he could electrify it. The same tubing they use for plumbing. He used the FiShock fence transformer and just ran a wire from it to the copper.

However, while this has worked on raccoons, though I have not seen a heron or evidence of one they are thick here and I did lose almost all of my fish over last winter. They just vanished. I have seen Kingfishers, watched one grab a 6" shubunkin years ago and know they are here too. Someone got my fishies. There were no bodies, scales, fins, bones. Vanished.

I have read a post by someone on Garden Web who saw a great blue heron land in her pond but her pond is huge and the heron could see the bottom.

[Esther]

I suspect they will land in shallow water because there is a swamp/bayou down the road from here where a wide shallow creek flows windingly through the swamp to the river across the street from it. As I think about it, the heron must land in the water because it can't walk in from the side. And we often see him fishing there. I see him flying over every so often and yell for him to keep going. But like you said, the water has to be shallow enough for their long legs. Wonder if they can swim. I don't think so.

So Leeanne your copper tubing is the electricity conductor? What happens if marginals are leaning against the tubing? I know back on the farm if weeds were touching the electric fence, it short circuited the power to the fence. Seeing DH is a plumber, it wouldn't be hard to make a similar small fence out of copper. HMM I remember there were little glass doodads hooked on the fence post and that would make sense seeing glass isn't a conductor. Gonna have to look into this. But my dog--------but then I suppose once he touched it he would learn real quick not to do that again.

[barb]

I went to our local Agway/farm store to buy some stakes to attach fishing line to today.  That's where I bought the fish in the first place a couple of years ago.  Their outdoor metal tubs housing fish were gone though today, and their little pond was covered in bird netting.  I told them I had a blue heron at my pond, and they said they lost all their fish to a heron as well!  The heron even got the fish right out of the metal tubs.  This was at a big, busy garden center type place, with lots of buildings/people/etc.  Unbelievable.

Speaking of dogs Esther, we had two border collies, but our most active one died from kidney disease a couple of weeks ago.  Since then the older one, 13, has been rather lazy and isn't out as much now.  So now the yard is pretty quiet without two hyper dogs running round and round.  I wonder if that bird has been around before but maybe the dogs kept it away. 

At any rate, instead of criss-crossing fishing line all around and over the pond today I started out with white rope.  It looks like a demented spider spun a web over the pond.      I figure this way the heron will see the rope and hopefully get the idea he is not welcome, I don't want him to rush right in and get tangled up in fishing line.  In a week or so I will switch to fishing line.  And if that doesn't work, I'll switch to the netting over the pond.  The poor remaining fish are still laying low, other than the babies who are out and about now.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions so far.

[terrikokopelli]

Hi oh my god I have herons here where I live in Mass and often they come around. I have the fishing line up. Too high I guess coz he found a way to get under it. I have heard that a net is the best way to go. I have to get one soon for the fall anyway so next year, I'll just leave it up all summer. Someone I know leaves his up all summer too to keep the heron away and it works. My dog only works if he is out there at the time tho.  Good Luck.

[Esther]

I have heard of the herons standing on the shore and stabbing the fish through the net if it is close to the water surface.

[barb]

Well, he got two more!  Now I only have two left, and some babies.   :'(  I don't understand, how high/low is this netting supposed to be?

[Esther]

Is he landing on a pot or ledge in your pond? I think one tried that in my pond at least one time because there was a pot tipped off the ledge. Then I sunk them all down to the bottom. You can see in my picture, the ropes are maybe 6" from the ground and maybe 15" high. I don't think they have the intelligence to crawl under or have to lift their feet way high to climb over something. That would fit with what I had heard about them not liking to walk through tangly things.

[barb]

I think he stands on one of the flat rocks next to the pond, that's where I found his feather.  The water is shallow there, too.  I lowered the netting to about 12", I think it was at least 18" before.  He probably just ducked under and snapped up the closest fish.  I did find one of the fish I thought he'd gotten, so now it's just three gone.  One a day for him.   

[perplexed ponder]

I am so sorry to hear about your fish. I know the feeling, I'd wake up at 4am unable to sleep and looking out the window for the heron! We did get an alligator head and I do think it helps. We don't have gators here in Mi either, but when we put it in our heron spottings went down dramaticallya nd we've only lost 1 fish since (over a year). We find that in the spring and in the fall when the lily pads are not as heavy is the worst time. I think the fish are easier to spot from the air then. We lost fish even with the fish line, I think because we have flat stones all the way around the pond. It somehow made ith through the maze of heights and crosses to a spot that worked for him/her. they are not dumb birds. I had one come squak at me last week while I was feeding the fish, so my son and I draped the net over right away.

I saw a video on youtube where a heron was going UNDER a big blue tarp to get at the pond!! I didn't think they would, but this one did, many days in a row!

[tracey_shafer]

No, they are no dumb birds. I read on one board were the heron lifted a heavy wooden covering away from a breeders tanks to get his stock. They are hungry and have to find a way to eat. We just don't want it to be our pets.

[barb]

Thanks, everyone!  I think so far I have managed to keep him away after putting the lines/ropes across the pond.  I do get the sense herons are very smart, too.  I am sad that my pond will no longer look "natural" always having something stretched over it, but I guess that's just a part of living with wildlife.  I miss having the fish come swimming up to us as soon as we look out over the deck; now they are so scared I don't know they are there unless I move plants out of the way and actively search for them.  They are hesitant to eat, too.

[tracey_shafer]

They will calm down after awhile but you need to keep in mind that unless you have very good guard dogs out there the heron knows where to get dinner now.

[reddad35]

These sprinklers can be turned off when you are outside by the pond. They come on for a short burst of water. You do not have to worry about the site of ropes or nets.

http://www.thefind.com/garden/info-scarecrow-motion-sprinkler

[marla]

Barb, I'm soooo sorry you lost your fish.  We have problems every year.  We have a motion sprinkler, but it is only good in the spring when the plants are short, otherwise it blocks the sensor, and also the battery wears down quickly as it will go off even when the wind blows a plant.  The heron visiting you is most likely landing in the yard and waking in to the pond, they need good landing and taking off area.  Your short fence is an easy step over so it will not stop him.  Even with criss-cross rope/line if the pond is shallow enough and he can stand on the edge and patiently wait for a fish to swim by he will be able to get his head down to get between the line.   We net our koi pond.  I use short shepards hooks to attach the net so it is above the pond, however I leave enough net to hang down to the ground and then I place rocks on that to hold it down so the heron can't get under it.  It is now the time the heron are migrating back south and will be stopping and filling up on fish and yes with the pads of lilies pretty much gone our bright fish are like flashing neon signs.  It's kind of hard to see the hooks and net but this picture may help show you how I do it

[barb]

Marla, your pond is breathtaking!  And I love the idea of the those hooks, I hadn't thought of that.  And I can't even see your net, which is great.  What about your tall plants, is the net not over them?  I have tall plants and I was wondering how to deal with that. 

I really, really LOVE the idea of the water sprinklers, but it would also hit the frogs and the cats, so that wouldn't be the ideal solution.  But thank you everyone, and knock-on-wood, so far I haven't lost any more fish.    

[marla]

Barb, thank you for your kind compliment.  As for the tall plants, a couple things can be done, if the nets go on early before growth, some plants will grow through the netting, cattails will.  Another way is to cut a slit in the net for those taller plants, or go around them.  If going around them you have to make sure there is not an open area for the heron to still get it's head or beak down, this sadly happened to me one year as I thought the spring threat was over and I moved the net, this left the shallows near the cattails unnetted and I did loose some of our favorite shubunkins.  We need to use 3 12'x12' nets on our pond to get all the areas, the center and falls is open, but heron being wadding birds would not venture to fly in there and the net is far enough out from the edge that it could not get it's head down.  We have placed a fake floating alligator and a shinny floating glass ball in our other (lily) pond, as the net on this pond was ground level in the spring but as the lotus grew I took it off.  The lily pond now has the goldfish in it, last year the heron got in this pond and got the 2 babies we had in and tipped over most of the pots doing so, it also got the 6 yearling longfin goldfish in our small upper pond, because I had taken the net off and not replaced it yet.  The stupid thing came back 4 days in a row trying to figure out how to get in the koi pond but thankfully he didn't get in, I even set up multiple obstacles for him by the pond and put out the Wonder Horse hoping to scare it off.  Really hoping the alligator will do the trick, I'd hate to loose all the goldfish, but we are building a pole shed out near the ponds so all the activity may help keep them away this fall.
 

[barb]

Thank you again for your advice, and for more pictures.  It's funny, I had things stacked up around the pond for a day or two, as well.  I guess we just keep trying until we find something that keeps them out. 

[miguynmkoi]

I have netting over my 2 ponds in case the egrets from the nearby creek decide to dine out.  I've seen them fly over my yard, eeks!!!  But so far I have not seen visitors.  The netting is not so noticeable after a week.  It seems I have to go up close to make sure I pull the netting back down (after playing with the fish while feeding them!