On 2009-12-16 16:06:34 +0000, Rusty Hinge
said:

Sacha wrote:
On 2009-12-16 15:17:43 +0000, "~Brian~" said:

Sacha wrote:
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered
and nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking SNIP

I know how you feel, I had my pond completely emptied by a largish heron 2
years ago (20 odd fish). They are always coming back but touch wood Ive been
up to their tactics since!

Usually, they're early morning visitors. Either this one is
excessively bold or excessively hungry!

Yesterday, one dropped by a pond about twenty yards from where I was walking.

Remember, when a heron alights, it always does so some distance from
the water, then walks in. To deter them, drive some pegs into the
ground a few inches from the margin, and tightly run a strand of thin
nylon fishing-line round the pond at about four to five inches above
the ground.

As it steps towards the water, the heron will feel it against its foot
and fly off in alarm.


Two problems there, Rusty, this particular pond is surrounded entirely
by paving so we can't put posts into anything. We could in the other
fishpond which is on the big lawn but I will absolutely guarantee that
some member of the public will walk straight into it and trip over it.
One could hardly blame them as the line's supposed to be invisible,
after all! We reckon this heron was walking from one pond - the lawn
one - to the other, the paved one and was just very, very cheeky.
We've seen them visiting both ponds but never in the afternoon.
Because we've had some sun today (!) the fish were up and basking a
little and the herons must know where this buffet table is located.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon