Author Topic: Guess who keeps dropping by for dinner? (Read 1980 times)

Kat · « **Reply #1 on:** April 13, 2008, 05:10:27 PM »

BAD BIRD! GO AWAY!

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #2 on:** April 13, 2008, 05:38:26 PM »

Oh no

Esther · « **Reply #3 on:** April 13, 2008, 06:02:27 PM »

That time of year again. I always get them between now and mid June.

Bonnie · « **Reply #4 on:** April 13, 2008, 06:34:38 PM »

Tracey is it getting fed? Sure hope not!

Reedman · « **Reply #5 on:** April 13, 2008, 07:23:06 PM »

I live a mile near the Susquehanna river - full of common egrets and great blue herons.

A few years ago I built a 9' high greenhouse-like structure out of 1 1/2" PVC pipe and 4" mesh netting. Not that aesthetic looking, but no egrets or herons can get to my fish - would die trying.

tracey_shafer · « **Reply #6 on:** April 15, 2008, 07:35:47 AM »

Came out this morning and this bold bird flew off with my DD's favorite goldie flashing in its beak. Does nothing scare this bird, my front pond is right against the house on a very busy street corner. My DD is yelling he got Fuffy!

Joyce · « **Reply #7 on:** April 15, 2008, 07:41:46 AM »

He's been visiting me too Tracey, a couple Ospreys and believe it or not, lots of CROWS.

The crows have been walking around the pond pecking at the small fish sunbathing in the shallows.
They have also been pecking at the bullfrog tadpoles too. (that doesn't bother me)
I am sure the big dead koi has heron or osprey wounds on him, and the one little dead fish I found looked pecked.
They were too stinky and rotten to do a post mortem, but I could see broken skin. :'(

I have a pistol BB gun, CO2 powered. I use it to scare them only.
They seem to know a gun when they see one.
And the popping sound it makes scares them too.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #8 on:** April 15, 2008, 10:08:53 AM »

Paint gun time! I would think that would make them think twice?

tracey_shafer · « **Reply #9 on:** April 15, 2008, 10:37:06 AM »

I was asking my son if he had any friends with paint guns I could use for a bit. He thinks because they are a proctect bird and we are in town & right at a stop light I would be in trouble for shooting at them even with a paint gun or BB gun. (Someone on the street would see and report me) I know our town hall is a few blocks away and some yahoo is always tell us we have to move our garbage cans or the garage sale has been too long or the riding mower can't be parked in the driveway any longer so he could be right. Who can I call to ask about my rights with these birds, I have alot of money tied up in wakins I want to protect.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #10 on:** April 15, 2008, 11:26:10 AM »

Oh sorry to hear that! Maybe one of those water scarcrows that blast them with water.

Ky Kim · « **Reply #11 on:** April 15, 2008, 11:26:39 AM »

I hope the best for you, that it will find a new fishing hole.

Its ashame that we can't even protect our own kids (fish). They are part of our families. I understand the bird is a protected species, but no wonder they are protected.......because they are bad birds and everyone wants to wring their necks

. If they would leave ponders ponds alone, they wouldn't have to be protected.

So far our of 8 years of ponding, I've only seen one at a local ditch. It never found my yard, and that ditch doesn't hold water any longer.

Kim

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #12 on:** April 15, 2008, 11:32:40 AM »

Oh dear Kim, I hope they don't find you now!

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #13 on:** April 15, 2008, 12:42:48 PM »

This is all sad news :'( I worry about the local egret family too. That's the first time I've heard about crows picking on little fish, Joyce. Now you got me worrying about the murder of crows we have here. I haven't actually seen one in my backyard, where the pond is located, but they are always on my roof

pecking and scratching the roofing panels and in the trees.

Seriously needing a net (can't depend on Annette only

) but can't figure out how to set one up and still be able to remove it while enjoying the pond.

Tracy, sorry for the untimely visitor. It's so sad your DD had to witness the culprit in action. Hope she's alright.

Joyce · « **Reply #14 on:** April 15, 2008, 12:56:50 PM »

miguynmkoi, I was surprised to learn that Crows are considered birds of prey. (and opportunistic scavengers)
I looked it up after watching a murder of them attack a rat out in the nursery here at work, and peck it to death through its eyes.

Within 5 minutes, there was nothing left of that rat.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #15 on:** April 15, 2008, 01:03:11 PM »

Yikes!! Almost feel sorry for the rat!

Crows around here can easily spot fast food take out bags and go for any leftovers inside. If there are lots of crumpled up bags in a garbage bin they pick up the bags until they find one with some weight = food. I do not like crows and their cawing.

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2008, 03:42:39 PM »

We have two big spruce trees in our front yard. Every year the crows get the baby robins out of the nests. I have twice seen a crow carrying a baby rabbit and one time, believe it or not, the crow was having a hard time getting off the ground and the momma rabbit was running after it.

Karen

Philly Bill · « **Reply #17 on:** April 16, 2008, 04:49:34 AM »

Yikes! You have such pretty fish, it will be a shame if they are eaten.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 16, 2008, 10:04:19 AM »

Time for a net or criss crossed fishing line. The bird doesn't know the difference between native fish in natural bodies of water and our pets.

marla · « **Reply #19 on:** April 16, 2008, 09:03:54 PM »

Always sad to here and see these threads. we had a determined one last year and got quite a few fish, even found a open spot in the net to get them at the shallows. This year we netted early. Seems they are only here in the early spring and fall. To many better larger natural bodies of waters and large protected state marshlands in the area for them. No place to close to nest, and they like to fish close during nesting.