Bird Trouble...

[Rhoadsclan]

After a head count last week came up 2 short. I spent $7 on netting at local garden store. Thought I was good.

I found this out at the pond today! Kingfisher?

Net normally looks like this: 12" between net and pond.... I am rethinking this set up.


20 minutes after I shewed him away, I found this:

Looks like he dove into the net and left wet footprints? What else can I do?

I am paranoid now...any Ideas appreciated...


Bob

 

[sissy]

put styrofoam under your net and attach it to the net with coated wire .I get the foam blocks from neighbors or the dump ,packing material they are glad to get rid of .Get flags and put them up on pvc piping .Just drill holes in the right spot and attach the flag with wire .The wind or even just the slight movement of the flag keeps my owl away .Ground stakes will hold the net tight over your pond also as can see ground on the sides if not milk jugs filled with water tide to the net or even filled with sand or dirt .

 

[addy1]

Chicken wire might work better, but might show up more. I use the deer fencing, it is tougher than the bird netting. Does not tear as easliy.

 

[minnowman]

That appears to be a Green Backed Heron. I've seen one of them pass through a chain link fence[two and a half inches square]. It will keep coming back as long as there are fish to eat. A beach ball would work to hold the net up in the center

 

[j.w]

If he's busting up that bird netting w/ diving in then I'd go w/ the deer fencing as it is much stronger. Balls or styrofoam do work well in keeping it off the water. Don't think that bird can get in there if you do this.

 

[addy1]

cool facts

The Green Heron is one of the few tool-using birds. It commonly drops bait onto the surface of the water and grabs the small fish that are attracted. It uses a variety of baits and lures, including crusts of bread, insects, earthworms, twigs, or feathers.
These herons are tool-using animals. They are regularly seen picking up objects to use as a fishing lure, attracting prey fish

not my picture

 

[Rhoadsclan]

Wow... think you all nailed it. Green Heron it is, I don't like my odds at this point.
He did not break thru the netting... yet...
I will have to rethink this. Dont want my pond turning into a big bird feeder.

Thank you all for the Ideas and information. I will keep you posted.

 

[j.w]

Oh wow I thought those were holes in the net but it's just the sagging parts down under the water that made it look that way to me. So all you might need is to get it off the surface w/ some floating devices it looks like.

 

[addy1]

Yep I thought it was holes in the net, had me fooled. The deer fencing ran the lenght of my pond around 27 feet without sagging into the water, stiffer stuff

 

[fishin4cars]

Personally, I found that Green Herons are easier to deal with than the big white and blue Herons. Greens seem to scare off pretty easy with fire crackers or other loud popping noises. You can try hanging a few CD's from fishing string in the area and the flashing reflective light might help scare them some. It's NOT 100% effective on Blue herons but it does seem to help some.

 

[sissy]

I have never seen birds like that around here and glad I don't .All I have had to deal with is the one eyed owl nest in a tree right behind my house and all he has been going after is mice .So him get one yesterday when I was out in the shed looking for something and I must have scared the mouse out and he swooped down a few feet in front of me and snatched the mouse .I see also in his next he has added a big piece of quilt batting I had for my pond .Oh well at least it will keep him warm

 

[taherrmann4]

cool facts

The Green Heron is one of the few tool-using birds. It commonly drops bait onto the surface of the water and grabs the small fish that are attracted. It uses a variety of baits and lures, including crusts of bread, insects, earthworms, twigs, or feathers.
These herons are tool-using animals. They are regularly seen picking up objects to use as a fishing lure, attracting prey fish

not my picture

I had one of these guys visit last summer he would mostly sit on a piece of driftwood that crosses over my creek, never got anything that I knew of.

 

[j.w]

He's kind of pretty, cute in a way................but he can't come to my pond unless he gets a beak reduction!

 

[oldmarine]

After a head count last week came up 2 short. I spent $7 on netting at local garden store. Thought I was good.

I found this out at the pond today! Kingfisher?
View attachment 40099 View attachment 40100
Net normally looks like this: 12" between net and pond.... I am rethinking this set up.
View attachment 40102

20 minutes after I shewed him away, I found this:
View attachment 40101
Looks like he dove into the net and left wet footprints? What else can I do?

I am paranoid now...any Ideas appreciated...


Bob

Good idea that works in keeping them feathered critters out. Have you tried the Scare Crow Sprinkler? They may not like the idea of having to compete with getting splattered everytime they sit and focus on their next kill.

 

[backtoreality]

When I build my pond I decided not to have any shelfs, its a straight drop down from the side of the pond, so as no bird could wade into the pond and wait for a fish. When finished I moved the KOIs from the front pre-formed pond liner to the new KOI pond, next day most of the fish (5 out of 15) were left, figure the heron just sat along the edge and waited. Immediately went and bought a plastic owl, which I continue to move around when I feed the fish, never had a problem since. Been over 2.5 years without any bird getting a fish. Also decided to get rid of my goldfish, they have too many babies and quickly take over a pond, put a call out on craigslist, the 70 plus goldfish were gone the next day. Side note, of the people who grab some goldfish brought me back a huge lilly pad, soon after I noticed 50 plus baby KOIs, so have over 60 KOIs right now.