Heron Stop

[gigigreen]

Herons hit me and ripped up plants and ate most of my fish. I was devastated. I netted the pond and then the Shags hit. Tore through the net, swam into the hiding caves and again got most of my fish, all my favourites. A week after getting a new dog one of the Shags landed between the kennel and the pond. Pupper nearly got it and no more threat, Haven't seen any since. We still get the occasional snake or Kookaburra but they don't cause the devastation. Nothing touches my Mums pond, she has a Dachshund.

Whats a Shag, type of bird? I'll end up netting the pond as the plants start to die for the winter. Just don't like having to do it during the warm months. My cats probably help some, but he got the heron always seems to get some before he's scared off. Got two this last time which was a couple of weeks ago, but haven't seen him again yet.

 

[gigigreen]

@Sisha I think you're the first to mention "shags" on this forum! I have no idea what that is. I will say that I've never heard of herons ripping up plants - they are pretty clean hunters in my experience. That sounds more like raccoons. But maybe you have a special breed there, wherever you are!

@JamieB - are your dogs outside dogs? If so, you may have a heron deterrent - if not, I wouldn't rely on them.

Same here, never heard of a Shag!! The heron just pokes holes in the lilies when he's fishing in my pond!

 

[gigigreen]

So, the only deterrent anyone can recommend is a net?? I moved a statue closer to the water, don't know if it helps. Would think I would need to move it around, so he doesn't get used to it. But, it's probably not helping anyways. CAN't stand this bird!!

 

[j.w]

YEP!!!! @gigigreen Lots of other things work for awhile and then WHAMO! it doesn't work anymore and you lose your fish. Even a net won't stop everything but as for the heron it works for me!

 

[Mike in Vermont]

Has anyone tried Scare Tape? The Blue Jays were viciously ripping Blackberries off the plants. I bought a $5 roll of this, and cut 4 posts to fasten it on.. The birds would not even come near the house. They hung out for 2 days on the other side of my lower pond, being very vocal during the day. After that, they left and never returned.

 

[j.w]

I know @callingcolleen1 uses dangly things from lines strewn across her pond but then she has dogs, a tall fence and a lot going on in her yard all the time. Don't think she has ever been bothered by a heron. Just depends on your layout. The heron was not bothered by shiny fire colored flashing tape I had blowing around out there. He just strolled on over and hung out by my pond staring at the fish waiting for the moment to pick them off.

 

[Tara]

Same here, never heard of a Shag!! The heron just pokes holes in the lilies when he's fishing in my pond!

Just to let you know. Shags is a bird, a shag is a sexual term in England and Ireland. The English language can be a strange thing.

 

[mrsclem]

Has anyone tried Scare Tape? The Blue Jays were viciously ripping Blackberries off the plants. I bought a $5 roll of this, and cut 4 posts to fasten it on.. The birds would not even come near the house. They hung out for 2 days on the other side of my lower pond, being very vocal during the day. After that, they left and never returned.

I used it on my blueberry bushes last year. It worked great. This year, birds totally ignored it and feasted.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

I used it on my blueberry bushes last year. It worked great. This year, birds totally ignored it and feasted.

hm I wonder if my wife is willing to sit in the blueberry patch next July? Just during the daytime.

 

[j.w]

I'm sure she will just be delighted

 

[Tara]

hm I wonder if my wife is willing to sit in the blueberry patch next July? Just during the daytime.

I'm sure she will, I doubt she would like to see you sitting there all alone fighting the birds all by yourself.

 

[Lisak1]

hm I wonder if my wife is willing to sit in the blueberry patch next July? Just during the daytime.

I'm sure she'll say that's berry nice of you to think of her.

 

[GBBUDD]

Shags

forgive the dumb look on my face but what's a shags?

 

[GBBUDD]

cormorant

oh i'd take a blue heron over a comerant any day. blues don't swim they have to wait for there dinner to swim close to the bird and closer to the surface a comerant swims under water very efficient hunters

 

[j.w]

You sure about that @GBBUDD ? I don't think they dive but who knows?