All spring I thought my goldfish seemed skittish. I wondered if the blue heron was making more visits. One afternoon as I tried to get the fish to come up to the top so I could feed them, I realized one of the blue shubunkins was missing. Darn!! About a week or 2 later, I was walking through the kitchen late one Friday afternoon and when I glanced in back, I thought I was seeing double--2 herons! No, that would be one fake heron and one REAL heron! I watched the live heron pace around the yard until I guess he noticed me watching and flew away. Oh... Harold......"you're fired!!"
I was so mad! One of my neighbors that has a Koi pond told me a blue heron has gotten so many of his fish, he had to net his pond. My friend, Sunrise in Sachse has also had heron problems. She decided to net her pond as well.I went complaining to hubby who did some research on herons. According to what hubby read, herons walk into a pond (rather than fly into it) and will not cross a barrier. The suggestion was to either net your pond, or use line to create a fence. Hubby decided to try the fence idea.
He bought green metal stakes at Home Depot and used fishing line to create a fence around the pond. He also crossed the top-just in case the article he read was not correct about the herons flying into a pond. This "fence" has been up about 6 weeks now, and so far, so good.
I don't particularly like to look at a fence made of fishing line, but what else can I do? We decided we have 2 options; leave this fishing line fence up, or let the heron use our pond as a diner and buy new fish all the time. To be honest, I don't know what the final decision will be... For now, I will try to look beyond the fishing line and see blooming flowers!Harold is now unemployed. If he goes out to look for another job, he better not use me as a reference....I will be quick to say "cannot perform duties as assigned!"
16 comments:
Poor Harold, duped by the real McCoy! ;) Hope the fencing idea works, that would become costly having to replace the fish all the time.
Luckily I don't have Koi, but replacing goldfish all the time would be expensive Racquel. I still don't know what to do--not sure if I like walking out to the garden and seeing fishing line! :)
Bless your heart -- I'm glad the fishing line fence is working!
You certainly have a decision to make. I'm not going to say I don't notice the fence but everything else looks so lovely.
After a while you won't even notice the fence. Better to leave it up than deal with the aggravation of feeding the herons.
jj--guess you know what has been going on with sunrise and myself! It is so frustrating to deal with--but I have not lost anymore fish so far!
Susie--there is no way to not notice it, but hopefully we can learn to look beyond it....hopefully. :)
I hope you're right Tina..but if I lose fish again, I think I will just not re-stock and go without them. Maybe this fence will solve the problem (just wish it was cuter!) :)
We lost one of our gold fish in the recent storms. I think the Manx will keep the birds away. Maybe you could borrow Trixie. I wrote you address wrong on the seed give away. Remailing them Monday. Sorry, but you got some dill.
Deb.
Do you think you could use those solar stake type lights as "fenceposts" and string the wire from them? I really don't notice the fence, so maybe in time, you won't either.
BTW, what are Herons doing in your neck of the woods? I kinda think of them as near the ocean; guess I'm wrong about that!
Hi Debbi--yes, maybe I can borrow Trixie. I bet that Heron won't come around when I have Allie Girl (granddog!)
Thanks for letting me know about the seeds. I was afraid something had happened to them. Thanks for going to so much trouble. I'll let you know as soon as I get them.
Nola--we live close to a "finger" of Lake Ray Hubbard. This is a flight pattern for Herons--we see them all the time. We use to have 2 Bradfords in back that kind of created a canopy over the pond--good for fish protection, but bad for pond plants. We had to take 1 of the trees down--so guess the pond is in full sight of the birds. I do have about 80% surface coverage though. I thought that would help, but my pond plants die back in winter, so it's open territority until they grow back in late spring.
I feel sorry for Harold. I'm sure he will miss that beautiful yard he had for home.
Linda, I think those green stakes may be bugging you more than the fishing line. What if the stakes were made from tree prunings? They'd be less obtrusive, I think.
mr--don't you go feeling sorry for Harold! He promised me he would protect the fish!
Cindy-that's a great idea. I need to find some brances to use. Maybe you are right--maybe it's the green stakes...something just does not look right. I am use to a pond I can putter around--you should see me trying to navigate through this fishing line! Pretty funny! :)
Harold could have been doing his job just not in the way you wanted...He may have been a decoy for the other herons...lol Not funny just kidding!!!!
I am glad you found a solution to the problem. Maybe the heron won't come back now. Its better then replacing the fish for sure!
I think the flowers hide the fence very well! Everything looks beautiful!!!(-:
Thanks Cindee--I guess in winter it will look kind of ugly, but we don't seem to have heron visits in winter and the fish stay at the bottom of the pond anyway.
Well as you know I am on your side! I have lost too many fish to those blue herons! I actually saw white cranes flying around now...Its too dangerous for us to not have some protection for our fish. thank you so much for the pond grass! It has given great coverage so have the lily pads. The poppies have started to blooom. I have like the netting that I put over my pond, it sets there like a box... I double dog dare a crane to come down now! Just don't know what I would do if one got caught in the net...YUK!
Us pond people must stick together and make those birds go to the lake to eat.... see ya
SIS
SIS--we can fight those herons..right?? Well, as you can tell by the comments, everyone seems to think we are doing the right thing by netting and fencing in. What else can we do? I'm excited your poppies are blooming! Pond coverage will help, but I don't think it will keep the birds away.
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