2 replies to this topic

[pebcpa]

I lost 2 goldfish about a week apart in July. Disappeared without a trace. I'm still not sure what got them, a raccoon or blue heron? I haven't lost any since but I go out there every day and take a "fin count".

I've lived on Long Island my entire life. During seven recent years I lived only a couple of blocks from the bay, and I don't ever remember seeing a blue heron. Now I live about 2 miles from the nearest body of water. One Sunday morning about 2 weeks ago I look out my kitchen window and what do I see...a giant blue heron taking off from the middle of my lawn. They must be fish magnets. I didn't lose any fish that day but I was shocked to see it. It hasn’t been spotted again until my wife saw it flying overhead yesterday.

My pond is pretty well covered by trees and landscaping so I'm not sure if the heron could have seen it from the air or from the lawn for that matter. My little 100 gallon pond which is out in full view may have caught its eye. If it was the heron wouldn't it have come back to finish them off? They will get into the water to do their fishing, right?

We do have raccoons in the area so it could have been a raccoon. The side walls of my pond are pretty steep and access isn't easy. One end has a shelf with potted plants but the plants weren't disturbed. Maybe they got lucky with the first 2 but are having a hard time getting to the rest of them? Do they go into the water to get them or do they try to get them from the edge?

I'm still not sure what got those 2 fish. I’ll probably never know for sure…

Any suggestions for precautionary measures to take or should I just wait to see what happens next?

[poodles-ponds and gardens]

The most "fool proof" solution would be to put a net over the pond. Some have had good luck with a Scarecrow. It's a motion activated water sprayer that hooks up to a garden hose.

[DrDave]

The scarecrow did not work with Egrets (GBH same family) or racoons at my place.