I've been pretty lucky with my new pond this year and lost
no fish to critters (at least none that I know of). Well,
that may have changed. I looked out tonight and saw a great
blue heron standing in the middle of the pond by the waterfall.
The pond is only half frozen now since the days have been in
the upper 30's/low 40's this week. My kid's nanny was here
tonight and mentioned that she's seen it around for several
days this week and thought nothing of it. Oh well... I put
a mist net over it tonight so I shouldn't be loosing any
more. Guess it had to happen eventually.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 20:15:50 -0500, Dan wrote:

I've been pretty lucky with my new pond this year and lost
no fish to critters (at least none that I know of). Well,
that may have changed. I looked out tonight and saw a great
blue heron standing in the middle of the pond by the waterfall.
The pond is only half frozen now since the days have been in
the upper 30's/low 40's this week. My kid's nanny was here
tonight and mentioned that she's seen it around for several
days this week and thought nothing of it. Oh well... I put
a mist net over it tonight so I shouldn't be loosing any
more. Guess it had to happen eventually.

Hopefully every one stayed deep and under the ice. Why I like my screens
on all winter, stops the worry when the scarecrow can't be on. ~ jan
~ jan/WA
Zone 7a

"Dan" wrote in message
. ..
I've been pretty lucky with my new pond this year and lost
no fish to critters (at least none that I know of). Well,
that may have changed. I looked out tonight and saw a great
blue heron standing in the middle of the pond by the waterfall.
The pond is only half frozen now since the days have been in
the upper 30's/low 40's this week. My kid's nanny was here
tonight and mentioned that she's seen it around for several
days this week and thought nothing of it. Oh well... I put
a mist net over it tonight so I shouldn't be loosing any
more. Guess it had to happen eventually.
===================================
You have my sympathy. These birds can clean out a pond in no time. If our
ponds weren't netted year 'round we wouldn't have one fish.....
--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Bummer!

How deep is your pond?

Let us know when you learn who is there still.

Jim


"Dan" wrote in message
. ..
I've been pretty lucky with my new pond this year and lost
no fish to critters (at least none that I know of). Well,
that may have changed. I looked out tonight and saw a great
blue heron standing in the middle of the pond by the waterfall.
The pond is only half frozen now since the days have been in
the upper 30's/low 40's this week. My kid's nanny was here
tonight and mentioned that she's seen it around for several
days this week and thought nothing of it. Oh well... I put
a mist net over it tonight so I shouldn't be loosing any
more. Guess it had to happen eventually.

Phyllis and Jim Hurley wrote:
Bummer!

How deep is your pond?

Let us know when you learn who is there still.

Jim


"Dan" wrote in message
. ..

I've been pretty lucky with my new pond this year and lost
no fish to critters (at least none that I know of). Well,
that may have changed. I looked out tonight and saw a great
blue heron standing in the middle of the pond by the waterfall.
The pond is only half frozen now since the days have been in
the upper 30's/low 40's this week. My kid's nanny was here
tonight and mentioned that she's seen it around for several
days this week and thought nothing of it. Oh well... I put
a mist net over it tonight so I shouldn't be loosing any
more. Guess it had to happen eventually.


Unfortunately it's only 18-22" which was as deep as I
could go before hitting bedrock. I kind of expected that
since I have schist boulders all around my back yard
and my neighbor has a sloping 10' high, 20' long monolith
rising from their front yard (actually looks pretty cool
and the kids love it).

In any case, after removing the plants for the winter I
sumerged a 2'x3' piece of flat quarry stone and placed it
on bricks to give the fish some cover. I lifted it today
and found most of the fish hiding beneath it. I'm
sure I lost some fish to the heron, but at least a dozen
survived to swim another day. BTW, the heron was back last
night, tried to land, hit the net, and flew off.

One more quick note. I went to remove the leaves from my
skimfilter and found a half dozen frogs hibernating in the
bottom. Guess I won't be cleaning it out until spring.

"Dan" wrote in message
...

In any case, after removing the plants for the winter I
sumerged a 2'x3' piece of flat quarry stone and placed it
on bricks to give the fish some cover. I lifted it today
and found most of the fish hiding beneath it.

That's GOOD news. :-)

I'm
sure I lost some fish to the heron, but at least a dozen
survived to swim another day. BTW, the heron was back last
night, tried to land, hit the net, and flew off.

The nets do discourage them but new birds come into the area all the time.
The net will also keep out kingfishers, snapper turtles, cranes, large
bullfrogs, snakes and mammals with a taste for fish.

One more quick note. I went to remove the leaves from my
skimfilter and found a half dozen frogs hibernating in the
bottom. Guess I won't be cleaning it out until spring.

--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Bottom posted.

--
You can find my public key at https://keyserver1.pgp.com
"Dan" wrote in message
...
Phyllis and Jim Hurley wrote:
Bummer!

How deep is your pond?

Let us know when you learn who is there still.

Jim


"Dan" wrote in message
. ..

I've been pretty lucky with my new pond this year and lost
no fish to critters (at least none that I know of). Well,
that may have changed. I looked out tonight and saw a great
blue heron standing in the middle of the pond by the waterfall.
The pond is only half frozen now since the days have been in
the upper 30's/low 40's this week. My kid's nanny was here
tonight and mentioned that she's seen it around for several
days this week and thought nothing of it. Oh well... I put
a mist net over it tonight so I shouldn't be loosing any
more. Guess it had to happen eventually.


Unfortunately it's only 18-22" which was as deep as I
could go before hitting bedrock. I kind of expected that
since I have schist boulders all around my back yard
and my neighbor has a sloping 10' high, 20' long monolith
rising from their front yard (actually looks pretty cool
and the kids love it).

In any case, after removing the plants for the winter I
sumerged a 2'x3' piece of flat quarry stone and placed it
on bricks to give the fish some cover. I lifted it today
and found most of the fish hiding beneath it. I'm
sure I lost some fish to the heron, but at least a dozen
survived to swim another day. BTW, the heron was back last
night, tried to land, hit the net, and flew off.

One more quick note. I went to remove the leaves from my
skimfilter and found a half dozen frogs hibernating in the
bottom. Guess I won't be cleaning it out until spring.



Sounds like good news - :-) , glad to hear it! Keep on a ponding! Good luck
and later!

Score one for the ponder and his fish! They seem to have learned about big
objects overhead. May the heron figure out that he need not come back!

Well done.

Jim
"Dan" wrote in message
...
Phyllis and Jim Hurley wrote:
Bummer!

How deep is your pond?

Let us know when you learn who is there still.

Jim


"Dan" wrote in message
. ..

I've been pretty lucky with my new pond this year and lost
no fish to critters (at least none that I know of). Well,
that may have changed. I looked out tonight and saw a great
blue heron standing in the middle of the pond by the waterfall.
The pond is only half frozen now since the days have been in
the upper 30's/low 40's this week. My kid's nanny was here
tonight and mentioned that she's seen it around for several
days this week and thought nothing of it. Oh well... I put
a mist net over it tonight so I shouldn't be loosing any
more. Guess it had to happen eventually.


Unfortunately it's only 18-22" which was as deep as I
could go before hitting bedrock. I kind of expected that
since I have schist boulders all around my back yard
and my neighbor has a sloping 10' high, 20' long monolith
rising from their front yard (actually looks pretty cool
and the kids love it).

In any case, after removing the plants for the winter I
sumerged a 2'x3' piece of flat quarry stone and placed it
on bricks to give the fish some cover. I lifted it today
and found most of the fish hiding beneath it. I'm
sure I lost some fish to the heron, but at least a dozen
survived to swim another day. BTW, the heron was back last
night, tried to land, hit the net, and flew off.

One more quick note. I went to remove the leaves from my
skimfilter and found a half dozen frogs hibernating in the
bottom. Guess I won't be cleaning it out until spring.