New ideas- feedback?

[mrsclem]

Now that I think winter may be here I'm making plans for next year. We took the netting down over both ponds but I have a bald eagle that circles my yard on a daily basis. The netting I have does not hold up well in snow so I have a new idea- Anyone ever use a scarecrow? Got this to use as a Santa for the holidays but it came too late so thinking about putting it down by the ponds and moving it several times a week.

 

[fishin4cars]

Might work, if you already have it I would sat it's worth trying and watching to see what happens.

 

[j.w]

I think they might get used to it not moving eventually. Too bad you can't rig up something so it moves or stand him up and let his arms sway in the wind. You could hang him from a pole and let his whole body sway but then your neighbors might call the cops!

 

[Waterbug]

From what I've read all these types of deterrents are just that, deterrents. Whatever that means. But certainly somewhere less than 100% effective.

 

[mrsclem]

Just heard on the radio that someone had sat on a bench next to the river here and had a heron land next to them! Guess I will keep the netting but not sure what to do about the eagles during the winter.

 

[sissy]

I use a flag on a home made flag pole made of pvc ,holes drilled in the pvc pipe with the flag wired to the pvc and put another bigger pipe in the ground to put the pvc pipe in .I bought some bright pretty flags for each season .I have 3 of these flag pokes now .The slightest breeze moves the flags .By my pond I even wired some christmas bells to the flag pole ,they make a pretty noise when the wind blows .I don't have any close neighbors and don't worry about it bothering any one and they make less noise than a wind chime ,sounds like santa's coming everyday .

 

[addy1]

The heavy duty fishing line may be your best bet mrsclem, it will keep the eagles from flying in and snatching fish,. place above the pond with some strings, shiny things attached so the bird can see the lines. I watched them fish out of ponds at our colorado home, they just swoop in, barely pausing, snatch the fish and off they go. But they do need the clear air space to make that snatch.

 

[adavisus]

It's fairly logical predatory birds will loiter around oasis, waterholes, ponds, looking for easy pickings of critters looking for water...

If you have yip yip mutts or light coloured pets, a bald eagle would be something to worry about indeedy.

Around the :::mumble mumble::: number of ponds here, its no surprise to see large owls, vultures, red tailed eagles daily. When they start slapping into targets just a few feet from where you are standing its a vivid reminder that some critters have few scruples when they are hungry and want to grab a snack...

If you have sizeable valuable fish you may want to compare the cost and trouble of replacing them and the benefit of a decent predator net... Soccer net is extremely cost effective, practical and durable if there's just the one sizeable pond to defend

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[Waterbug]

I also found fishing line to be effective for heron and egret. I didn't tie anything to the line but birds seem to see it. I saw a Mallard come in for a landing and stop just above the line, hover, adjust and come in between the lines. I had them 3' apart. A Great Blue stood on a neighbor's roof looking at the pond but never came in. Egrets did still come in but had to land in a tree and climb down inside the tree, so it slowed them down.

 

[mrsclem]

I have plenty of fishing line so I guess I will go that route till spring. I have pvc pipes around the one pond at different heights so the netting stays clear of leaves but the least bit of snow tears most netting. Haven't put the poles around the rebuilt pond yet but the fish in that pond are all small so not obvious targets.

 

[addy1]

The heron here ignored the fishing line, went right though it, on the sides of the pond and over the top. I had the stuff 6 inches apart on the sides, 1 foot apart over the top of the pond. The chicken wire fencing I put up after it went though the fishing line did stop it.

 

[oldmarine]

Now that I think winter may be here I'm making plans for next year. We took the netting down over both ponds but I have a bald eagle that circles my yard on a daily basis. The netting I have does not hold up well in snow so I have a new idea- Anyone ever use a scarecrow? Got this to use as a Santa for the holidays but it came too late so thinking about putting it down by the ponds and moving it several times a week.

Interesting idea. I think I would rather have a scare crow than frame and netting over my pond. Now, just if there was some way to make it wiggle or move when a Heron gets close.
Keep us posted on this one. This could be somthing workable

 

[Mmathis]

Try using old CD's. I like shiny things so few years back made hanging yard mobiles from CD's. They were great and I really enjoyed them, but they seemed to keep the birds away. I like birds even more, so the mobiles went away. Then when I enlarged my turtle habitat last spring -- this was the first time for my babies to be in "the wide open spaces" -- I was afraid the kites & hawks would carry them off. So I made some CD flowers. Can't say if those worked or not, but nothing flew off with my turtles.

For the mobiles: I glued 2 CD's, back-to-back (the label sides together) and let them dry. Do as many as you want for your mobile. Drill a small hole at the top edge and one at the bottom edge of each pair (stacking them helps this go faster -- oh, and clamp them if you stack & drill). I used mono-filiment fishing line to attach each pair to the other, placing a little fishing swivel between each (keeps the line from breaking). Use anything you want to hang them from, in any configuration that pleases you.

For the "flowers": The shiny side of the CD will face upward, randomly reflecting light, possibly confusing bird predators (and hopefully not causing pilots to become blinded!). Don't need to glue the CD's, but need to figure out a way to fill in the center area (like the old spindle converters we used for our 45's -- oooops! Did I just date myself?) so that your wire stems are held in place. I made some "thingies" out of polymer clay that I glued on. Take some stiff, heavy wire to make "stems." Make stems any length and can vary the lengths. Stick them around so they wave & move with the wind. For mine, I drilled a little hole in the top of the rails of the turtle habitat and stuck the wire stems in the holes. Can do the same thing by twisting the wire into spring shapes, if you like the bouncy movement (actually, I think that's how I made my stems...).

If anyone does this, let me know how they work for you!

 

[mrsclem]

I have actually used old cds in our blueberry bushes to keep out the birds. We have several families of cardinals that nest next to or in the bushes and can really clean them out. The cds worked so will try them over the ponds until the net can go back up.

 

[Mmathis]

Let me know how it (CD's as well as nets) works! Since I plan to have my pond built & have little swimming bird-snacks to attract the predators by summer, I might be looking for additional insurance. My boxies are growing, but they're still small enough to be snatched by a larger bird. I might find myself "netting" the entire habitat area if this happens.