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

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

Shoot!

On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:38:02 EDT, Phyllis and Jim
wrote:

Shoot!

Yeah... I had a BFF tell me that I might have to give into nature and I
sent her every emoicon I could find of shooting birds. Including one death
ray. ;-) Course then she goes out to her pond and finds a missing fish or
two and orders a scarecrow.

Anyway, it was requested that I provide the video, sorry for the poor set
up but here tis....

http://photobucket.com/jjspond

Some of the video is missing. You see him fly down, go in the upper pond,
get out and snatch the fish from the lower pond. When what he actually did
was fly down and wade around in the lower pond first, get out, and then
went in the upper pond, before he went back to the lower pond.

Btw, I have those little plastic fake fish in the pond, it didn't even try
for those. I can hear Carol laughing about this time. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

That was not a pretty sight.

On 4/14/2010 8:46 PM, ~ jan wrote:
On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:38:02 EDT, Phyllis and Jim
wrote:

Shoot!

Yeah... I had a BFF tell me that I might have to give into nature and I
sent her every emoicon I could find of shooting birds. Including one death
ray. ;-) Course then she goes out to her pond and finds a missing fish or
two and orders a scarecrow.

Anyway, it was requested that I provide the video, sorry for the poor set
up but here tis....

http://photobucket.com/jjspond

Some of the video is missing. You see him fly down, go in the upper pond,
get out and snatch the fish from the lower pond. When what he actually did
was fly down and wade around in the lower pond first, get out, and then
went in the upper pond, before he went back to the lower pond.

Btw, I have those little plastic fake fish in the pond, it didn't even try
for those. I can hear Carol laughing about this time. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

I am sorry about the raid. I hope it does not return and that your
precautions work. If not, try the red neck way.

Our heron has not come back. It stood at the side for a while and
even stood on a tub in the center of the pond. It did not get
anything and has not been back...that we have seen. No fish missing!
Also, no evidence of additional plants flattened. If it comes, we
will have to address the situation.

I have just put 4 of the gf in one of the berm ponds that is 3/4
covered with parrots feather. Breeding...I hope. The ponds are only
18" deep and could be stood in by the heron. I am hoping it will not
see the fish (Right now, I can't as they hide.) The fish are 2
shbunkins and two bf goldies. Cross maybe? I don't know about sex,
but I figure that with 4, I stand a good chance of having at least a
pair up there(7 in 8, as I remembert)!

Jim

Any new heron news?

Sorry about the 'not so pretty' sight, JB, I was pretty disgusted at myself
forgetting to have turned on the motion sprinkler.

Phyllis and Jim wrote:

Any new heron news?

Well, nothing that has landed near the ponds, but they're still checking
in. Friday I was mowing the lawn when one came swooping in for a landing on
my roof, the end near the lily pond. Our eyes met and it re-routed its
flight path.

The web cam picks up a raccoon now and again, but they don't like that
bright spot light apparently, as they quickly move out of frame. A skunk
let me know my hot wire wasn't working right the other night, as it made it
in for a drink, they don't bother the pond otherwise and aren't bothered by
the spot light... I mean really, who messes with a skunk? Other than a dog
that doesn't know better, yet? I can see the hot wire indicator light, from
the cam, and could see it was flashing too fast indicating a problem. I
found a tad scorched fern leaf touching it, removed that and it was working
fine last night. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us