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Jim Elbrecht 10-06-2009 04:45 PM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
I've got a tiny 8x12ish pond/puddle about 20 feet from my house.

Things are coming along quite well in Pug Pond [in great part thanks
to the folks who share their knowledge on this group & a couple other
forums]

The 2 Green Frogs seem at home. [though they haven't made a sound]
I've named them Jerry (Brown) and Jo (Green).

We have about a thousand Toad-poles that are just starting to grow
legs. . . and I suspect there are some frog cousins in there as there
is a batch of tiny tadpole that I just started seeing a couple days
ago.

Our [dozen or so] Rosy Reds have been busy lying eggs on the bottoms
of the lily pads- and apparently hatched some someplace as we now have
a couple Reds that are smaller than any we introduced a few months
ago.

Yesterday, while sitting here at the computer, I saw a splash out of
the corner of my eye, and looked up just in time to see a Kingfisher
leave the pond with a Rosy Red in his beak.

I was torn between 2 reactions--
1. 'That's one of the coolest things I've ever seen'
and
2. Hey you sumbitch- get out of my pond!!!

My wife is less ambivalent. She wants revenge.g

So I'm looking at ways to prevent or at least discourage his return.
we're 1/4 mile from the Mohawk River so I imagine he was just passing
through--- but there will probably be others.

Netting seems to be the most sure-fire way, but I haven't figured out
how to add it without losing lots of ambiance.

I really only need to protect an area about 8 feet square. the other
end of the pond is a 'Pug wading area'. I haven't seen the fish on
that end.

Has anyone been successful in discouraging Kingfishers?
What I've found while googling is all about blocking their path so
they can't dive-bomb. Any photos of attractive 'aerial interference'
setups?

I've sort of pictured putting up corner posts and draping some netting
or some such. If the structure was attractive and sturdy enough to
hold the leaf net in the fall, all the better.

We're working on a natural look with river rock and lots of plants--
but it is still a work in progress.

Thanks,
Jim
[for a few more 'thousand words'-
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...ife/group1.jpg
The Pugs who enjoy Pug Pond
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...ssJune2009.jpg
Progress so far- a couple more years?. . . .
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...fe/deepend.jpg
The end where the fish hang out ]


ReelMcKoi 11-06-2009 03:47 AM

Kingfisher ?control?
 

"Jim Elbrecht" wrote in message
...

Has anyone been successful in discouraging Kingfishers? (Brevity
Snip)

===========
We have them here. Only a net suspended about 2' above the water
kept them out. Them and the herons and large snakes and bullfrogs
and all the other fish and frog predators. We used a fine but tough
black bird netting. When I sold the last of the fish I disposed of the
netting.
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö



[email protected] 11-06-2009 03:12 PM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
Decoy goldfish. I think Jan was the one brought the idea here. The only thing, get
those that dont fade in the sun. Ingrid

On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:45:10 EDT, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
Yesterday, while sitting here at the computer, I saw a splash out of
the corner of my eye, and looked up just in time to see a Kingfisher
leave the pond with a Rosy Red in his beak.

Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan
on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago


~ jan[_3_] 12-06-2009 02:37 PM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:45:10 EDT, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

I've got a tiny 8x12ish pond/puddle about 20 feet from my house.

Yesterday, while sitting here at the computer, I saw a splash out of
the corner of my eye, and looked up just in time to see a Kingfisher
leave the pond with a Rosy Red in his beak.

I was torn between 2 reactions--
1. 'That's one of the coolest things I've ever seen'
and
2. Hey you sumbitch- get out of my pond!!!


First off, Nice Pond!!!! Have your pugs ever fallen into the deep end from
the wading section?

2nd, we use to be able to get orange, plastic fish, about the size of a
goldfish, looked real enough that I've had people mistake them for the real
thing (obviously NOT pond people). They were called heron scarers, but I've
googled and not found them sold anywhere on-line.

3rdly... I don't think a Kingfisher would keep dining on minnows if there
are bigger fish nearby, and the way rosy reds breed, you might be happy to
be doing what we call: "Advanced Bird Feeding." :-) ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us


kathy[_3_] 12-06-2009 02:38 PM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
I watched a kingfisher dive into my pond multiple times trying
to pull out a goldfish decoy.

k :-)


~ jan[_3_] 12-06-2009 02:38 PM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:12:33 EDT, wrote:

Decoy goldfish. I think Jan was the one brought the idea here. The only thing, get
those that dont fade in the sun. Ingrid

Have you found them somewhere by chance?

I almost forgot to mention. I saw this at Ranch & Home, it is a solar
powered bird scarer to keep birds from landing on things. Has 2 arms with a
8-10 diameter that move and bounce in a circle (I think). Maybe some ponder
could figure out a way this would work for them, it was only $30! ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds:
www.jjspond.us


Jim Elbrecht 12-06-2009 03:55 PM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
On Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:37:25 EDT, ~ jan wrote:

On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:45:10 EDT, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

-snip-
First off, Nice Pond!!!! Have your pugs ever fallen into the deep end from
the wading section?


Thanks-- and 'not yet'. My pug is the fawn one & he is real
cautious around water. [a couple close calls as a pup] The older
black one is real cautious, too.

But the young black one is a flat-out adventurer. I've tried to
minimize the pug access with the rocky shore, and a line of anacharis
right at the drop off from wading to 'deep end'. Also have a
plant shelf that is 12" deep and a foot wide, so most accidents would
be quickly recoverable by the pugs.


2nd, we use to be able to get orange, plastic fish, about the size of a
goldfish, looked real enough that I've had people mistake them for the real
thing (obviously NOT pond people). They were called heron scarers, but I've
googled and not found them sold anywhere on-line.


I've toyed with the idea of decoys- but I read in one post where the
man claimed the kingfisher poked lots of holes in his liner. So I'm
a little afraid to encourage even temporary diving. [though it would
be fun to watch.]


3rdly... I don't think a Kingfisher would keep dining on minnows if there
are bigger fish nearby, and the way rosy reds breed, you might be happy to
be doing what we call: "Advanced Bird Feeding." :-) ~ jan


You might be right on the pre-emptive herd thinning.g I thought
he'd gotten a bunch, but I guess he just scared them. We had 13-14
that were always schooled up. After a couple of days with no school,
10 have regrouped. [and there are at least 3 lily pads hosting eggs-
and what appears to be another nest in a cinder block. [Old block that
had been sitting outside since the garage was built 25 yrs ago.-
should be inert by now, eh?]

I'm probably more concerned about liner damage now.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Jim


~ jan[_3_] 13-06-2009 12:13 AM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
On Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:55:07 EDT, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

I'm probably more concerned about liner damage now.
Jim


What kind of liner? I'd also like to know, but you probably don't know,
what kind of liner the other person had? I can't imagine these birds being
that dumb or going thru 45 ml EPDM. ~ jan

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


Jim Elbrecht 13-06-2009 02:33 PM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
On Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:13:18 EDT, ~ jan wrote:

On Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:55:07 EDT, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

I'm probably more concerned about liner damage now.
Jim


What kind of liner? I'd also like to know, but you probably don't know,
what kind of liner the other person had? I can't imagine these birds being
that dumb or going thru 45 ml EPDM. ~ jan


Both me and the site I read are EPDM - his is 40mil, mine is 45.
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/...ory_birds.html
Dr. Adrian Lawler says;
"The local species in my area is the Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle
alcyon). It will dive into a pond and puncture the liner (40 mil HDPE
in my ponds) in shallow waters (usually 8" or less), causing leaks. I
have hundreds of holes along the edge of a large liner pond (12 by 60
feet by 4 feet deep) (40 mil HDPE) from kingfisher bill punctures.
They were diving after rosy-red fathead minnows, and eventually got
all of several thousand fish stocked out. The fatheads swam in schools
around the edge of the pond, presenting themselves as easy targets. "

I've seen them hit the water in streams and believe they can puncture
a liner. I wonder if the black liner throws off their depth
perception a bit.

This isn't a belted like I have- [colors are different, but they have
the same beak] but here's some cool video-
http://findik.tarim.gov.tr/users/melih/video/yali1.asp
and in slow motion.
http://findik.tarim.gov.tr/users/melih/video/vid.asp


Jim


~ jan[_3_] 13-06-2009 09:05 PM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
On Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:33:52 EDT, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

Both me and the site I read are EPDM - his is 40mil, mine is 45.
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/...ory_birds.html
Dr. Adrian Lawler says;
"The local species in my area is the Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle
alcyon). It will dive into a pond and puncture the liner (40 mil HDPE
in my ponds) in shallow waters (usually 8" or less), causing leaks. I
have hundreds of holes along the edge of a large liner pond (12 by 60
feet by 4 feet deep) (40 mil HDPE) from kingfisher bill punctures.
They were diving after rosy-red fathead minnows, and eventually got
all of several thousand fish stocked out. The fatheads swam in schools
around the edge of the pond, presenting themselves as easy targets. "


If the above is what you read, he claims HDPE, which is High Density Poly
Ethylene, and being that it was round the edges... I'd be wondering how old
his liner was and what sun exposure it was subject to. According to my
in-house chemist HDPE isn't as puncture resistance as EPDM... not that I'm
saying you'd want to test that. :) I also believe it gets brittle in
sunlight.

This isn't a belted like I have- [colors are different, but they have
the same beak] but here's some cool video-
http://findik.tarim.gov.tr/users/melih/video/yali1.asp
and in slow motion.hav
http://findik.tarim.gov.tr/users/melih/video/vid.asp
Jim


Cool. Anyone notice the frog in the slow mo? I think that is the kind of
kingfisher we here. I know one summer I lost almost all my fantails to what
I believe must have been a kingfisher, no punctures in 45 ml EPDM. The next
year I put in a school of fake fish before I put more fish in. Hasn't been
back since, and now I have lots of flashy things over it, just like the koi
pond, besides the resident school of fake fish. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us


Jim Elbrecht 14-06-2009 03:39 AM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
~ jan wrote:

-snip-

If the above is what you read, he claims HDPE, which is High Density Poly
Ethylene, and being that it was round the edges... I'd be wondering how old
his liner was and what sun exposure it was subject to. According to my
in-house chemist HDPE isn't as puncture resistance as EPDM... not that I'm
saying you'd want to test that. :) I also believe it gets brittle in
sunlight.


Thanks for clarifying that--- I mistakenly said *I* had HDPE-- and
I have EPDM. And now that you point it out I feel much better.g

-snip-
back since, and now I have lots of flashy things over it, just like the koi
pond, besides the resident school of fake fish.


I like the 'flashy things' idea. I think I can come up with
something that won't be too gaudy.

Jim


[email protected] 06-07-2009 05:39 PM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
cant find this anywhere. you got a url? Ingrid

On Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:38:44 EDT, ~ jan wrote:
I almost forgot to mention. I saw this at Ranch & Home, it is a solar
powered bird scarer to keep birds from landing on things. Has 2 arms with a
8-10 diameter that move and bounce in a circle (I think). Maybe some ponder
could figure out a way this would work for them, it was only $30! ~ jan

Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan
on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago


~ jan[_3_] 07-07-2009 12:16 AM

Kingfisher ?control?
 
On Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:39:41 EDT, wrote:

cant find this anywhere. you got a url? Ingrid

This is something like I saw:
http://www.birdfreeboats.com/birdspider.htm but isn't solar
Here's this one:
http://www.birdfreeboats.com/birdrepeller.htm

http://www.gullsweep.com/ Can't find if this is just moved by wind or
what?

Hope this helps. I was googling bird scarers boats (as that's what the box
was suggesting). Maybe what I saw was just the spider and then some solar
thing and mixed the two?
--
Having senior moments now that I've hit the old speed limit, 55. ;) At
least it is profitable to be growing older, saved myself $21 on some patio
furniture, as Shopko had a 15% off for seniors shopping day. Plus, it was
my birthday month and I got another 10%. I now two very nice patio chairs
originally $140 each that were already marked down 50%, so I ended up
paying only $53.55/ea! ~ jan
---
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us



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