Spotted a rather large redtail hawk perched on a post, watching the
pond. Over a year ago I saw one swoop down and hit the water with it's
talons but miss.

Maybe I need to get some really BIG fish that he couldn't lift out of
the water.

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.
"I always wanted to be somebody...I should have been more specific..." - Lily Tomlin

Too bad raptors are protected.

Jim

Too bad raptors are protected.
Jim

Not too bad, as we wouldn't have any if they weren't. What's too bad is
they don't have more a taste for herons and water turkeys (as Brett use to
call cormorants).

Fishing line with metallic orchard tape should discourage it I would think.
~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

"~ jan" wrote:

Too bad raptors are protected.
Jim

Not too bad, as we wouldn't have any if they weren't. What's too bad is
they don't have more a taste for herons and water turkeys (as Brett use to
call cormorants).

Fishing line with metallic orchard tape should discourage it I would think.
~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us


I read in the paper the other day where a group of people who raise
"tumbling" pigeons have killed somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 to
2,000 raptors per year because they attack their pigeons! People never cease
to amaze me when it comes to what "they" think is right. Here's a link:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...78.story?ctrac
k=1&cset=true


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.

yeah... I remember when I was a kid had a boyfriend with rollers and
used to lay outside in the field and watch em roll. never remember
losing em to hawks, but then we were just coming off use of DDT and
there werent too many raptors anywhere.

My DH and I wanted to keep and fly some rollers and we had those birds
1 week before the raptors found em. The birds were never allowed out
and eventually the weasels found a way thru several layers of chicken
wire and killed them all in the flight cage. sigh. Keeping flying
pigeons would only work in the middle of a pretty big city. I am in
Milwaukee and the other day I was sitting outside in my backyard when
I nearly got bopped by some kinda hawk trying to snag a sparrow. We
are only 6 blocks from the lake and woods, but even so.......

glad to see the raptors back. Ingrid

On Thu, 31 May 2007 12:45:39 CST, San Diego Joe
I read in the paper the other day where a group of people who raise
"tumbling" pigeons have killed somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 to
2,000 raptors per year because they attack their pigeons! People never cease
to amaze me when it comes to what "they" think is right. Here's a link:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...78.story?ctrac
k=1&cset=true

I nearly got bopped by some kinda hawk trying to snag a sparrow. We
are only 6 blocks from the lake and woods, but even so.......

Every so often we have one come thru here trying for the birds at the bird
feeders. I've never seen evidence of little birds, but I have seen Robin
remains. One time we had a sharp shin hawk actually sit on the deck rail
next to the bird feeders and look in the slider at us. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

Jaws...!
Make lunch out of the problem.

k :-)

On Sun, 27 May 2007 20:05:33 CST, Mike Patterson
wrote:

Spotted a rather large redtail hawk perched on a post, watching the
pond. Over a year ago I saw one swoop down and hit the water with it's
talons but miss.

Maybe I need to get some really BIG fish that he couldn't lift out of
the water.

You mean bigger than the ordinary rabbit? It'll certainly take
squirrels and rabbits. I think you'll have to get your fish better
places to hide.

Even if you do get a humongous fish, it might still try and might
injure the fish badly in the attempt.

Netting is iffy. If you do netting, be sure that the hawk will be
easily able to see it. You don't want a dead hawk tangled in netting
in your pool.
--

r.bc: vixen
Minnow goddess, Speaker to squirrels, willow watcher.
Almost entirely harmless. Really.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli

"Cyli" wrote in message
...

Netting is iffy. If you do netting, be sure that the hawk will be
easily able to see it. You don't want a dead hawk tangled in netting
in your pool.
==========================
My ponds have been netted with fine black bird netting for years. I never
found a bird of prey snagged in it. It's pulled tight about 18" over the
water. If they hit it at full speed they'd most likely get bounced back or
rip right through - depending how large they were and how hard they hit the
net. If we didn't net everything we wouldn't have one fish left.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
ISP: Hughes.net
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

Ak!
No, I don't think a bird of prey will bounce off
a net. They come down with talons out to grab
their prey. More than likely you've never had one
visit. They are pretty smart birds.

I found this bit of info ~
Care must be taken when selecting and designing both temporary and permanent exclusion systems. Failure to do so can result in systems that are ineffective, cumbersome to work around, and a hazard to either the birds or the fish enclosed.
Selection of proper materials is of critical importance. Use small (1-
to 2-inch mesh) wire or net to exclude all birds, but avoid finely
textured netting that may entangle birds on contact.

Personally I would never net my ponds. Too dangerous for the dogs and
neighborhood cats and any bird, mouse or snake who stops by. My pond
is structured so that is not that easy for the neighborhood heron or
visiting kingfishers.
Also we don't have the big water snakes like in some parts of the
country and only one raccoon visit and they got treed much to their
dismay.

k :-)

wrote in message
ups.com...

brevity snips

Personally I would never net my ponds.

We had no choice. It was either netting them or giving up on fish. The other
problem was the endless stream of snapping turtles. I didn't want to reach
down for a plant pot one day and lose a finger. :-O

Too dangerous for the dogs and
neighborhood cats and any bird, mouse or snake who stops by. My pond
is structured so that is not that easy for the neighborhood heron or
visiting kingfishers.

Even our steep sided 2000g pond was being cleaned out by herons, snakes,
kingfishers, bullfrogs and turtles. There doesn't seem to be any way to
design ponds to keep these critters out. How is your pond built to keep
them out? The steep sided pond was just as infested with fish-eaters as the
smaller pond with less steep sides.

Also we don't have the big water snakes like in some parts of the
country and only one raccoon visit and they got treed much to their
dismay.

Racoons don't come near the homes on my road due to the number of dogs - I
think.
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
ISP: Hughes.net
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

I netted raptors and owls for a few years with ornithologists and a
big net with wide holes is used and it is draped so they hit and
"fall" into the folds. Birds need to get their wings ensnared or they
just fly off. I have had my pond netted for years and other than a
morning dove who persisted until they got under the net and drowned I
have had nothing else caught in the netting. it is plain "bird"
netting used all over the world and is not meant to actually catch
birds but keep them off of stuff.

we used leather gloves and grabbed the legs right above the feet, then
took the netting off the wings. At the raptor center I worked at they
conned me into hanging onto a Golden Eagle, hanging onto the feet (the
dangerous part of the bird) while they were doing some procedure to
it. Knowing what the talons can do to human flesh (our head
ornithologist got nailed by an owl one night because he tried to take
it out of the net at night... alone) I had a death grip on those legs.
It is doable.

netting is the only really reliable way to protect fish in a pond.
Ingrid

On Tue, 29 May 2007 00:23:49 CST, wrote:


Ak!
No, I don't think a bird of prey will bounce off
a net. They come down with talons out to grab
their prey. More than likely you've never had one
visit. They are pretty smart birds.

I found this bit of info ~
Care must be taken when selecting and designing both temporary and permanent exclusion systems. Failure to do so can result in systems that are ineffective, cumbersome to work around, and a hazard to either the birds or the fish enclosed.
Selection of proper materials is of critical importance. Use small (1-
to 2-inch mesh) wire or net to exclude all birds, but avoid finely
textured netting that may entangle birds on contact.

Personally I would never net my ponds. Too dangerous for the dogs and
neighborhood cats and any bird, mouse or snake who stops by. My pond
is structured so that is not that easy for the neighborhood heron or
visiting kingfishers.
Also we don't have the big water snakes like in some parts of the
country and only one raccoon visit and they got treed much to their
dismay.

k :-)

wrote
...it is plain "bird"
netting used all over the world and is not meant to actually catch
birds but keep them off of stuff.


Ingrid:

Thanks for your insight. Could you supply an internet link to a suitable
product? I don't mean to intend you to endorse any particular product or
vendor, just give us an example of the right type and an idea of the cost.


Michael
New Orleans, Louisiana USA
================================================== ==============

It would solve the problem legally.

drc

"Cyli" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 27 May 2007 20:05:33 CST, Mike Patterson
wrote:

Spotted a rather large redtail hawk perched on a post, watching the
pond. Over a year ago I saw one swoop down and hit the water with it's
talons but miss.

Maybe I need to get some really BIG fish that he couldn't lift out of
the water.

You mean bigger than the ordinary rabbit? It'll certainly take
squirrels and rabbits. I think you'll have to get your fish better
places to hide.

Even if you do get a humongous fish, it might still try and might
injure the fish badly in the attempt.

Netting is iffy. If you do netting, be sure that the hawk will be
easily able to see it. You don't want a dead hawk tangled in netting
in your pool.
--

r.bc: vixen
Minnow goddess, Speaker to squirrels, willow watcher.
Almost entirely harmless. Really.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli

Mike Patterson wrote:

Spotted a rather large redtail hawk perched on a post, watching the
pond. Over a year ago I saw one swoop down and hit the water with it's
talons but miss.

Yeah, Redtails aren't _good_ at fishing, but they do catch some.
--
derek
- Unless otherwise noted, I speak for myself, not rec.ponds.moderated
moderators.