HE'S BACK!

[addy1]

Say addy, I just had a thought, and this is the perfect time of year for it... Halloween is coming, and with it, shelves full of motion-detection devices that shake and scream! Most of them run off a couple AA batteries, and can easily be converted to run off a small power-pack so you could leave them running year-round. Why not get a variety of these things, so everywhere the heron tries to land, he gets a different noise thrown at him? I understand they get used to a single scare tactic, but if you have a bunch of different things, maybe he won't stick around long enough to learn them?

I was looking at some at lowes while we were getting the chicken wire. I will check into stuff like that, we have the drive way alarm, but this bird did not come into the yard the normal way, through the gate where the alarm is. We have so much movement due to the plants blowing batteries wear out real quick.

That is sounds like a good idea Shdwdrgn. Addy I cannot believe how big he is. Do you just keep cameras up all the time like deer hunters do for deer?

The cameras are on 24/7 great way to watch wildlife and figure out ways to fight a heron. The sucker is huge, when it stretches up I bet it is taller than me.
It is the way I check on the pond when we are out of town. One trip we caught a leak (the preform loop was overflowing) and where able to get the neighbor to save the pond. It had dropped 6 inches in the few days since we had left. I was able to watch her walk around and direct her where to check until we found the problem.

lol shdwdrgn I was thinking we should figure out a way to attach a motion detector on a fake alegator and make it's head raise and jaws snap! but the halloween item idea is a good one!

At least with the first attack the floating gator heads made it alert and not immediately start eating fish!

The pond looks like a big silver box right now, I hate it, but it will do until we get home again. My husband thought the chicken wire would hurt the birds feet..............nope didn't even bother it.

here he is checking out the chicken wire covering

giving it the heron can stand on it test

a different view

I went out at 5am and used ropes to pull it tight tied to the apple tree and the camera post. Hate the way it looks, will be almost impossible for me to remove, the stuff is awkward and heavy to haul off a pond and up the hill. When we get back will be doing something else.

The island is going to be history, not worth the nice standing place it gives the sucker, opens up the "safe" zone the deep end to the bird.

 

[Fishylove]

addy can you move the allegator head before you leave? maybe that would give him pause too, if its in a different spot?

 

[addy1]

addy can you move the allegator head before you leave? maybe that would give him pause too, if its in a different spot?

I have two, they are tied off with fishing line attached to a rock on the bottom of the pond. They move with the breeze. I am going to relocate one to the other end of the pond, a head peaking out of the plants waiting for food lol

Good idea fishy, thanks

 

[Fishylove]

Your Weclome, just a thought, those birds are pretty smart lol

 

[addy1]

They are too smart, I had one coming all last summer, an everyday fight. This summer none until yesterday. I use the videos to watch their behavior to figure out ways to outsmart the bird!

 

[humbirdlover]

Wow, I don't like the way his neck looks so much like a snake!!!. And would you believe, we had one this morning. There's a small farm pond just behind the garden, and Grandson put some sunperch in it. But there's also a lot of frogs, or at least there were. Went out about 6:30 and that thing took off from back there, big sucker!. Not sure if he would come this close to the house where my pond is or not. Gonna check online for a gater, asap. If I have to I can throw up the deer fencing I put up for Fall. Even tho he is walking around on that fence, can he get to the fish thru it? We have a creek in front of our house, across the road. I have heard those things making that awful noise they make. I do believe it's the Great Blue Heron War!!

 

[addy1]

lol I don't think he would walk on the deer fencing, it would not be stable enough. The chicken wire sank down on the island giving it some stability. When I had the deer fencing up the heron never landed on it and he came back everyday for months, but also I did not have the island. I have decided the island is going bye bye. I don't have time to take the chicken wire off pull the island than reinstall. But it will be done when we get home. The pond looks ugly, but the heron will have to work to get a fish.

Honey and I disagreed on deer fencing vs chicken wire, I let him win (I need some for the veggie garden anyways lol it will be used) but I am going back to the deer fencing. If it is not stable when they land (if they try to land) they won't. The deer fencing they can see, but it does not look solid, the chicken wire looks solid.
I also had the deer fencing held above the pond by around 3 feet.

Welcome to the heron fight! I went to someones house to look at boat last year with honey, right in front of their front window a small pond and a heron that took off as we walked up. So yes they will come close if they are hungry.

Last year I watched it eat frogs from the lotus pond, bugs from the yard, only one fish. It got the fish the first time it came around, I startled it as I walked out of the basement. That was the beginning of the heron fight.

 

[humbirdlover]

It's a shame you have to remove your island, it has filled in so nice. But yes, he sure did make good use of it. another project for me, I was going to make a dome type cover with the deer fencing, but haven't gotten the pipe yet. But then my pond is tiny compared to yours. Good luck. don't stay gone too long, I might need you! LOL

 

[addy1]

lol I might log in now and then the first week, checking the pond and if not busy the forum. The second week we will be out of country, then the fate of my pond is in the hands of my neighbor. She does a good job, watches over my yorkie and our house.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Too bad you have to go to such lengths to protect your fish Addy. We do have herons around here, but I have never had a problem with them, probably cause my pond (ponds) are so small they never noticed them.

Have a nice trip.

 

[addy1]

Agree mucky, at least I won't be dialing in and watching the bird have a ton of sushi!
I would notice the big ones being taken, i.e. I would miss them, all the lil orange ones I could lose a bunch before I noticed. But part of pond keeping job is to protect the inhabitants.
Once next wednesday is done we will start having a good time.

 

[humbirdlover]

Too bad you have to go to such lengths to protect your fish Addy. We do have herons around here, but I have never had a problem with them, probably cause my pond (ponds) are so small they never noticed them.

Have a nice trip.

Hi Mucky..Do you have pics of your pond? I have a very small one, too

 

[multifasited]

I've got some 12 GA. And 16Ga heron feather puffer that works really well!

 

[brokensword]

addy;

not sure if you've considered this, but at the local pond plant nursery around here, their ponds are all open, though often surrounded with plantings and a tree or two. I asked once, how they keep them away and the owner pointed out the almost invisible nylon fishing line that he stretched over the pond, sort of grid-like but no opening less than 4' or so. The idea is that they won't land due to the lines, which apparently, they can see. So, you might consider this. Won't help if they land and walk up to your pond, but it seems you have the fencing to stop that event.


Anyway, just an idea.


Michael

 

[addy1]

addy;

not sure if you've considered this, but at the local pond plant nursery around here, their ponds are all open, though often surrounded with plantings and a tree or two. I asked once, how they keep them away and the owner pointed out the almost invisible nylon fishing line that he stretched over the pond, sort of grid-like but no opening less than 4' or so. The idea is that they won't land due to the lines, which apparently, they can see. So, you might consider this. Won't help if they land and walk up to your pond, but it seems you have the fencing to stop that event.


Anyway, just an idea.


Michael

I had the fishin line over the top of the pond, the darn heron (last year) flew over the chicken wire, landed on the fishing line, did a nose dive into the pond as it got tangled up, took off as I ran out of the house screaming at it! I don't think I had it that tight though, about 6 inches apart. Bet they had the line tied in a grid too, maybe I need to try and make that, winter project tying fishing line together in a grid.

How high above the pond? I had it maybe 3 feet above the water, real pain to work on the pond. I would like it above my head so I can walk into the water to work on the lilies without getting hung up on the line. But low enough the bird can't hop over the fence into the water.