My son & I were going to a pond talk yesterday, so got up early. While
feeding the cat, Algee, my son kept asking me if I'd checked the ponds
(just a tad odd that). It had been a cold night w/a low of 31F and the wind
was picking up, so of course stepping out in that was not foremost in my
mind.

I figured he was concerned because we had had 2 BIG raccoons trying to get
into the new cages he had made for the squirrel feeders the night before.

Even though we have a hot wire around the koi ponds... peanut butter has
been licked off the far side wire, and when I touched to test it... well, a
household static shock is more shocking. Finally I stepped out on the deck
and looked, one small pot tipped over, but all fish looked accounted for,
at those temps everyone is hugging the bottom... I came back in and son
comes rushing upstairs saying I'd better go do a head count, there had been
a bird in the pond.

Sure enough, he had it all on web cam. *I* had forgotten to turn on the
motion sprinkler when I added water the night before. OMG! We now have a
great motion picture of how a heron decides on its prey, took it 10 or more
minutes to decide and finally it went after a gin rin sanke, one of the
smaller fish, 10-12" not counting the BF tail. Then we got to watch how it
bashed it on a rock a couple of times before stepping out of frame to suck
it down (just try to prove I ate your fish) only to come back into frame
with a thicker neck as it flew off thru the heron HA! deterrent lines and
mylar ribbons!

By last night we had braided fishing line in a checker board crisscross
about 2' size squares over top... and most importantly, a line across the
top of the fence, where it landed. I was up this morning at 6AM checking
the ponds, as yesterday it arrived at 6:42am. Course, the sprinkler is now
ON!!! Large signs posted on the slider to remind whomever locks up at
night!

And then.... apparently I didn't get the memo, the heron was a no show.s
I can only hope it choked!

At least the raccoon deterrent cages around the squirrel feeders work.

Currently son still has 3 feet of new grounding rod to pound in for the hot
wire. Where I had foil w/peanut butter closer to the transmitter it looked
like something took a lick, but didn't finish it... so hopefully there is a
reason it didn't. Dang nature! ~ jan

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Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us