Holy Herons Batman!

[koikeepr]

Yesterday I was running out the door to pick up one of the kids, and I spot some large creature swooping into a tree limb high above my pond. I thought it was an hawk or perhaps and eagle so I did a double take look. The friggin' thing was the largest blue heron I have ever seen. I swear if the thing was standing on the ground it would be 8 feet tall! LOL!

Anyway, I was thinking how lucky I was when y'all are always talking about herons and I had never seen one around my pond. Doh!

I put the brakes on the car and got out ready to throw rocks at the darned thing to spook it. Didn't have to do that as just my hooting and hollering at it was enough to get it to fly off. The thing looked like a 727 jet swooping off. Huge!

I do have my pond netted at the moment for leaves, but I'm hoping I don't see that beast again. It was so big it would have no trouble fishing in my pond despite the drop to the water.

 

[CliffandJoann]

oh boy, you better get netted soon...good luck.

 

[DrDave]

It takes and event like this to realize the magnetude of those creatures. I have studied them for the past 16 years. I watch them in the fields around my property. The will stand over a gopher hole and wait for it to show its head then grab it if it does.

 

[koikeepr]

amazing! didn't know they'd eat a gopher! I tell ya that's the closest I've been to one, and I really wasn't all that close--prob 25 yards. The thing was impressive and massive. Truly a beautiful creature were it not for knowing he was considering my koi a potential snack. Truly, a koi doesn't stand a chance next to one for sure!

 

[koiguy1969]

oh yeah !! they kill and eat other birds... they will stand or sit perfectly still at your ponds edge for 1/2 hour fixed on a target until it comes into striking range. they do not need to wade into a pond to hunt it. they eat just about anything that will fit down its throat.

 

[rdk]

What is the best way to string up a pond net? Should it be loose or tight. To keep herons from getting our fish.

 

[koikeepr]

I have a net currently attached to my pvc pipes for my winter pond cover. It's pretty taut so that the leaves will blow off.

But I don't net in the spring/summer....never saw a heron in my area before....

 

[cole]

Will a net stop these bloody things!!!

I have one over my pond now, but if there that big, will it work???

 

[DrDave]

I use fencing material from Home Depot.

 

[koiguy1969]

this is what the decoys are meant to make the herons want to avoid, that is once mating seasons is over. they are very territorial once the matings thru...
[ame]

 

[cole]

One clear winner there!!!

 

[delatha]

I also have a nett on my pond,my fish are still close to the water surface looking for food. I had a visit last winter from a heron did not get any koi.hope that I don't see it again.good luck to all this winter.

 

[koikeepr]

geez, koiguy! that was quite a fisticuffs!

I've been wondering about those heron statues that you can buy to put by the pond. I've always thought they would attract a heron thinking it was a potential mate, so have avoided them.

It's a good point delatha. I have a a maybe 2 foot section that is unnetted in the corner and my watonai also hungrily hang out there waiting for a snack. Yesterday I noticed some of the small stones I keep around the edge of my rock ring to prevent cats or raccoons from sitting at the edge to potentially grab a snack were at the pond bottom. So some critter clearly pushed 'em in trying to get a closer look at my fish. I have purposefully also balanced my slate stones in this area a tad precariously, so they will shift and move if an animal tries to balance on them....so far all my fish are accounted for, but I definitely need to cover up that 2 foot open section with a net.

Is there anyone here who has one and feels they successfully ward off other herons based on what's depicted in koiguy's vid?

 

[koiguy1969]

thats why youve seen me post over and over again.".NO DECOYS TIL JULY " mating season ends in june. come july they dont want each other around

 

[rdk]

Would these decoys bring down other birds to our pond? What about ducks and geese, do they attack our fish?