Barred owl

[Nova]

Last year I found an owl feather on my small ponds waterfall. After looking it up, it belonged to a female Barred owl. A couple months ago I watched our security video and saw an owl swoop down to the large pond, land on the floating plant ring and fly off. Last night the owl landed on top of the swing and perched there for 20 minutes. It kept turning it's head to look at the security camera. It then flew up to the roof and a couple minutes later it flew to the pond, touched the water and flew off. Luckily, it is very cold at night and the fish are laying on the bottom. I guess I'm going to have to cover the pond with netting. We have been lucky to not have any predators for the first 3 years of having the pond. When the temps warm and spawning starts the fish will be easy pickings. What is the easiest way to install netting that will not lay on the water?

But it was REALLY great to see the owl. I love having wildlife in my yard.

 

[sissy]

I know you can use fishing line strung across the pond or sparkly things tied up like old unused cd,s

 

[addy1]

In arizona I had a great horned owl come every night just to bath in the stream, never touched a fish or showed any interest in them.

 

[sissy]

I know they say if they have plenty to eat they may not bother a pond ,but not sure it is the trueth or not .

 

[Nova]

The day I found the feather on the small pond I was missing a goldfish that was there the day before. LOL The feather seemed to be a calling card, "I will be back." Each time on the video I saw the owl swoop to the water and grab at it with its talons.

 

[addy1]

I am sure if they can grab a fish they will, very skilled hunters. My az pond was deep, 5 - 6 feet deep, the fish probably hung low during the night therefore managed to survive.

 

[j.w]

Would be neat to see the owl but not seeing it grab a fish!

 

[Lisak1]

Any worry that the owl would get caught in the netting? I know they have excellent eyesight, but would the be able to figure out not to swoop the pond with the net in place? A very different concern than a heron or raccoon that approaches from the water's edge, isn't it?

 

[Jason]

Thats what Happened to my 3 Large Goldfish! I bought one of those Owl Decoys and move it around twice a month or so, Has helped since I guess lol

 

[Nova]

I was concerned about the owl getting caught in netting that's why I have not used any and was thinking about an owl decoy. Thanks for posting Jason and letting us know it seems to work for you. I'll pick one up today. If I can get the video converted to a .wav or something else that plays easily I post it here.

 

[Shelley]

Last year I found an owl feather on my small ponds waterfall. After looking it up, it belonged to a female Barred owl. A couple months ago I watched our security video and saw an owl swoop down to the large pond, land on the floating plant ring and fly off. Last night the owl landed on top of the swing and perched there for 20 minutes. It kept turning it's head to look at the security camera. It then flew up to the roof and a couple minutes later it flew to the pond, touched the water and flew off. Luckily, it is very cold at night and the fish are laying on the bottom. I guess I'm going to have to cover the pond with netting. We have been lucky to not have any predators for the first 3 years of having the pond. When the temps warm and spawning starts the fish will be easy pickings. What is the easiest way to install netting that will not lay on the water?

But it was REALLY great to see the owl. I love having wildlife in my yard.

I have lost a fish to a bird strike before but my husband (a birder) saw and heard a barred owl after I lost a fish. I found the head and tail in the upper pond. Does anyone know if they just eat the body and leave the head and tail? Today, I found a dea koi in the upper pond but the only thing missing was his internal organs. Do birds do this or is it some other preditor?

 

[Nova]

Internal organs are often the first things eaten by most predators, more nutrients. It could have been a bird that was got full or scared off. The owl decoy I move around every week or two has kept the owl from coming back. If it was a heron, it would have eaten it whole.

 

[Shelley]

Thank you. This makes so much sense. Where can I buy an owl decoy? I cover 80% of the pond each night. But the remaining 20% has tall plants. Another curious thing is that the fish remains were found in the shallow upper pond. Do you think that a small owl might have pulled out the fish from the main pond and then carried it up to the upper pond to eat it?

 

[Fishylove]

Sounds like a raccoon to me. They wash and eat their food. We have a mating pair of barred owls in our pasture behind our house. I've been letting the grass grow long in the center-ish areas, lots of trees to nest in, and I was thinking rodents were what brought them here. This is the first year we've heard them, the calling is so cool. We did find them in the trees above us the other night while sitting by the pond, which was kind of freaky. Never thought they might be there for the fish, but maybe......

 

[Shelley]

I did find a raccoon size poop. Hmmm. Why would he leave all the flesh on the fish though. How can I keep him from thing this is his private sushi bar?