HE'S BACK!

[addy1]

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

lmao, we have our 22 loaded with bird shot. I just can't kill things. Honey would, BUT, if he manged to sneak out of the house when it was here, he would be shooting down into the pond and I have told him that is not allowed, I refuse to fix bullet holes in our liner. The heron is gone before you can even open the door, the slightest noise and gone.

We also have bunch of other feather puffers that would work, but need to remember they travel a long way! so no shooting in the air unless with one of the shotguns.

 

[multifasited]

Leave a window open just enough for a feather puffer to fit through ,foam strip to keep buggs out ,you just need to dust his panty hose ,rock salt works exceptional well local reloaded can fix you up ,even a 4/10 would send an indelable message salt stings for quite awhile ,he will not be back !

 

[addy1]

we have no windows, that open, pointing towards the pond. The bedroom slider you can't see the pond when in the room. The sliders in our sun room are facing to the sides, i.e. you have to open it enough to stick your head through and the gun to point it towards the pond. The 5 8x5 windows we have are all solid.

But thanks for the info, my neighbor does reloads, I think i will ask him to load some for me. It sure surprised us when it returned since it had been all summer flying over the pond and not stopping.

But so far the sucker has not come back, maybe the chicken wire will work until we get home. We are gone for over two weeks, so leaving this ugly fencing up until we get back. Only have one more day to get ready to get out of here. Takes work to shut down a house lol. Tomorrow is mowing so it won't be way over grown when we return.

 

[brokensword]

He had his at least 10' in the air, maybe higher; I didn't even see it until he pointed it out. The idea he says, is that the birds don't like it when they can't easily land/liftoff. And apparently, they can see this line from the air even though the unsuspecting patrons like me are completely oblivious. So, I should think that high, you wouldn't notice it nor would it get in your way to work the pond. This place is a retail outlet, so you know they too have to work their ponds. He did note that it doesn't keep the herons from 'walking' in. But you seem to have that area covered, so...

And though probably not practical for your pond (it being larger and part of a total 'gardening' package), you could try and enclose it as I did. That would require some carpentry skills though and of course, more material, but I have to admit, whenever I read these 'predator has come back' threads, I do like the security I have of knowing I won't ever worry about this. Not that a raccoon couldn't rip through my aluminum screening, but I'm sure it's not a high probability. Just tossing out ideas...

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.

 

[addy1]

I appreciate all your information, brokensword. 10 feet would be too high, the sucker would flap up and over the chicken wire, maybe if I could make it just over my head when I enter the pond, it would be low enough to keep the bird from getting in, but high enough so I could work on the pond.

My honey wants to make a frame with something that would lift up, but there are problems even with that. The up slope side is 4 feet higher than the bog side. I need to be able to get into the pond without help. I went to do something today and that chicken wire nicely kept me out lol.

It is around 25-26 feet long. between the slope, the bog, the plants no easy answer. I may sit in the house over winter and make some nice fishing line squares, make them in sections for ease of handling, attach together when done. If I put up supports on the up slope side going to the bog side I would be able to work the pond without too many issues. Keep the fencing so the bird can't walk in and the fishing line low enough it can't fly in...............maybe lol They are big birds with big wings and need room to get those wings going. I think I will watch my tapes again and measure how high it went when it flew in, use that as a indicator.

I watched it walk down the rock wall up slope side of the pond, so I am going to cover that with very loose chicken wire, make unstable footing. There is chicken wire at the bottom of the slope so it can't just walk in, has to hop over.

I have no raccoon issues, snake issues, or anything else at this time, but sure have heron issues.

 

[brokensword]

addy:

I don't think the stringing of the line is supposed to be 'prefab', that is, I think they just went and attached around a spike/hook and wove it back to another spike/hook, making a pattern of about 4'x4' in the air. This is supposed to keep them from landing, or so he says. It seems like an easy experiment to try; just put up some re-rod/metal stake and attach the line back and forth. Probably don't even need a lattice type pattern, either. If it doesn't deter, easy to take back down and you have plant stakes for the future. He had the trees and a nearby building for his spikes/hooks, so there was no obtrusive looking stakes, though.

You say you've got 25-26'...well, my pond is enclosed inside a 20x20' framework, so almost your size. I stopped at 20' simply because wood was easiest to get at 20' length; didn't want to start ordering custom size wood.

As another thought, would running the fishing line as a vertical fence make the heron think twice about all the trouble of getting past? Sure would be invisible and you could leave a 'door' sized opening through which you could enter, etc. At least this way, your 'fencing' and 'ceiling' would be invisible and a lot more sightly. I suppose, if you did try the metal stakes around your pond, put up the lattice of fishing line overhead, wound more between the stakes ala your vertical chicken wire, it might deter the herons. Just more thinking.

Michael

I appreciate all your information, brokensword. 10 feet would be too high, the sucker would flap up and over the chicken wire, maybe if I could make it just over my head when I enter the pond, it would be low enough to keep the bird from getting in, but high enough so I could work on the pond.

My honey wants to make a frame with something that would lift up, but there are problems even with that. The up slope side is 4 feet higher than the bog side. I need to be able to get into the pond without help. I went to do something today and that chicken wire nicely kept me out lol.

It is around 25-26 feet long. between the slope, the bog, the plants no easy answer. I may sit in the house over winter and make some nice fishing line squares, make them in sections for ease of handling, attach together when done. If I put up supports on the up slope side going to the bog side I would be able to work the pond without too many issues. Keep the fencing so the bird can't walk in and the fishing line low enough it can't fly in...............maybe lol They are big birds with big wings and need room to get those wings going. I think I will watch my tapes again and measure how high it went when it flew in, use that as a indicator.

I watched it walk down the rock wall up slope side of the pond, so I am going to cover that with very loose chicken wire, make unstable footing. There is chicken wire at the bottom of the slope so it can't just walk in, has to hop over.

I have no raccoon issues, snake issues, or anything else at this time, but sure have heron issues.

 

[addy1]

thanks again, I was thinking you meant 4 inches by 4 inches lol for the fishing line grid, 4x4 feet would sure be easier, I will probably make it 2x2 feet. Their wings are large, about a 7 foot wing span, they can not make it through small areas. The way I had the line it was able to separate it during its dive into the pond. So tied in a grid it would not be able to push the lines apart. They may have not tied theirs, but I am going to do some fishing line crochet, make the grid and then put it over the pond. I have 30 lb test, I think I will get some 100 or 200 lb test so it is even more visible. In thinking about it, I will string the line over the bog too, since this one landed in the bog. I could put the poles on the back bog wall and the upslope hill of the pond. Taking spray paint to blend them in makes almost anything look not too bad lol.

I had lines running over the pond last year, about 6-12 inches apart, not in a grid more parallel lines, the bird went through them. I had fishing line running between poles along the bog side, it was around 6 inches apart, the bird went through it. From what I could see on the recording it stuck its head through two lines and its body followed. That is another time the bird did a header into the pond, was actually really funny watching it. Head first dive came up sputtering.

The chicken wire works well there, you can't even really see it with all the plants in the bog.

They are smart birds, it came back 4 times on tuesday, 3 times before we had the fencing up, the last time with it up. The bird landed on the fencing, stood there looking around and took off, has not been back, maybe it decided it could not get in and gave up. At least this one gave up. I am sure there are others.

What surprised me, is it did not go near the lotus tub or the preforms. They do have fish in them, small fish, but fish. Total big pond focus.

I told the dumb fish to stay deep and behave while we are gone, but you know how they are.............will do what they want lol

They very seldom go towards the walkout area, mainly stay in the deep end. But if I walk in the pond, like a heron might do, they come swarming...........I can reach down and pick them up crazy fish. The total cost of these fish was around 10 dollars, the rest are children, so no big financial loss, but it is my job to protect them since I built the pond.

 

[multifasited]

May be you could discuss the problem with your reloader friend ,by the time you get back the threat would be long gone ,he could watch the pond for you and devise a cure in your absence ! or maybe you could rent a hippo for a week or two ,no they will only rent for a month at a time ,and thier grazing habits are not conducive to your landcapeing.Best bets your buddy ,have a nice trip ,and the heron will too! just pulling your leg,I think,humm maybe !

 

[whiskey]

i`ll solve it..... build a hive.......... load gun ....lay in wait.......BANG.... BANG.. BANG .... BURY IT ...... :goodnight:

 

[addy1]

Lol good ideas you two! so far the bird has not come back, that we are aware of, I don't see it on the recordings. Think the total chicken wire cover convinced it to fish elsewhere. I will be changing that out when we get home. I can't even get into the pond lol.

If you laid in wait for it to show you it might be a long wait! the sucker does it pretty random, at least year it was random, this year early am then evening, four trips one day, it has not returned since. (that I know of lol) The fencing is still over the pond, I see fish swimming around, if it has come back it has not wiped out all of the fish!

 

[j.w]

Here's some photo's of a koi pond we saw on our trip to Birch Bay a few wks ago. They had a net woven on top to keep the heron out and it was kinda neat looking. You could raise it up on taller poles I bet.

 

[Fishylove]

wow I bet that took some time .... Cool looking though

 

[addy1]

Here's some photo's of a koi pond we saw on our trip to Birch Bay a few wks ago. They had a net woven on top to keep the heron out and it was kinda neat looking. You could raise it up on taller poles I bet.

That is what I am going to do jw, weave a net of fishing line, but have it high enough I can leave it be. Thanks for the pictures now I can show honey my thoughts.

One monster spider web! Appears to be 100 lb line. Looks like they used the electric conduit for poles, same thing I was thinking of, smallish but stiff. I figure I will need around 6 three on each side. The ones in the middle of the pond and bog will be the only ones that will be bother some , as far as line of sight. But by painting a mottled color you can blend them in pretty nicely.

The bog side I might even weave a net of fishing line, but it will need to be smaller squares the darn heron pushed through it before. Any line on the sides need to be remove able so I can work on the pond. Between the side protection and the top, it needs to be tight enough so the bird can't fly over the side and still land in the pond. If it works out the island stays, if not it gets removed. Made too nice of a landing spot for the heron. The small green heron might still make it to the island, I may still pull it next summer. still debating that.

One thing nice with the line, if done right It could stay up all winter, won't sink (I think) with snow covering it, ice might pull it down some.

 

[humbirdlover]

That is cool looking, and yes, does look like a spider web! I was wondering if the heron came back while you were gone. Hey, you could even put a couple fake spiders on it for H'ween? Bet that would keep the heron away? LOL One year I make fake dead crows out of black trash bags and hung them on stacks in the garden. Kept the crows out

 

[addy1]

That is cool looking, and yes, does look like a spider web! I was wondering if the heron came back while you were gone. Hey, you could even put a couple fake spiders on it for H'ween? Bet that would keep the heron away? LOL One year I make fake dead crows out of black trash bags and hung them on stacks in the garden. Kept the crows out

I checked the recordings, did not see the heron. I think the last time it came back it figured it could not get to the fish through the fencing. I can't get to them either lol

I need honeys help to get the fencing off the pond, so this weekend we will pull it. Put deer fencing back up until I can make the spider web