My lotus pond barely has some very small pads ready to open. Can't figure
out what is wrong. We have had lots of Grackles bathe in the lotus pond
water and now it looks all dirty and black. Along edges it
looks oily. This is a very pretty bird and I would like to keep it
somewhere close.... just not in the ponds.

Anyone have any ideas on keeping the Grackles out of the lotus
pond water?

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

My pond is looking oily! Do birds do that?



On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 07:30:45 GMT, "Nedra"
wrote:


My lotus pond barely has some very small pads ready to open. Can't figure
out what is wrong. We have had lots of Grackles bathe in the lotus pond
water and now it looks all dirty and black. Along edges it
looks oily. This is a very pretty bird and I would like to keep it
somewhere close.... just not in the ponds.

Anyone have any ideas on keeping the Grackles out of the lotus
pond water?

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

Jammer, I was just guessing - don't know for sure. I do
that the pond has giant oil slicks in it - - not thick just big
ol' places that look oily. No pump is running
so I layed blame squarely on the Grackles. Do any
of your lotuses appear to be growing?
Guess I'd better hook up about 3 air stones.
I do know they (lotus) like aeration.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"jammer" wrote in message
...
My pond is looking oily! Do birds do that?



On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 07:30:45 GMT, "Nedra"
wrote:


My lotus pond barely has some very small pads ready to open. Can't
figure
out what is wrong. We have had lots of Grackles bathe in the lotus pond
water and now it looks all dirty and black. Along edges it
looks oily. This is a very pretty bird and I would like to keep it
somewhere close.... just not in the ponds.

Anyone have any ideas on keeping the Grackles out of the lotus
pond water?

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

oil slicks are common on ponds first thing in spring. plant tissue breaks down
putting nutrients into the water... . some of it is oily. Ingrid

Thanks Ingrid. I'm relieved

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

wrote in message
...
oil slicks are common on ponds first thing in spring. plant tissue breaks
down
putting nutrients into the water... . some of it is oily. Ingrid

"Nedra" wrote in message arthlink.net...
My lotus pond barely has some very small pads ready to open. Can't figure
out what is wrong. We have had lots of Grackles bathe in the lotus pond
water and now it looks all dirty and black. Along edges it
looks oily. This is a very pretty bird and I would like to keep it
somewhere close.... just not in the ponds.

Yes, they look very attractive with that steel-blue sheen on the
feathers and all -- except when they come by the dozen, and chase off
all the other birds, and s**t all over the patio furniture so you have
to wash it off before you can sit by the pond. This is why we stopped
filling the bird-feeder during the summer -- all we ever got was
street gangs of d**ned s**tting grackles! We only put out seed from
~October to March now, to look after the migrating stopovers and
winter residents (juncos, chickadees, sparrows, finches, the odd
cardinal).

Anyone have any ideas on keeping the Grackles out of the lotus
pond water?

If you're bird-feeding, I suggest you stop. If you're not, then I
really dunno -- put up a plastic owl maybe? Bird netting? Shark-fin
decoy in the water? ;-)

-- Steve (whose three BFK all survived the winter, and so did 2 of 3
shubunkins, and even a couple of the fantails, as well as most of the
plain old comets).

Steve Watson wrote:
"Nedra" wrote in message arthlink.net...

My lotus pond barely has some very small pads ready to open. Can't figure
out what is wrong. We have had lots of Grackles bathe in the lotus pond
water and now it looks all dirty and black. Along edges it
looks oily. This is a very pretty bird and I would like to keep it
somewhere close.... just not in the ponds.


when we repoted ours the other day it only showd "green" at the grow
tips which are still down in the dirt still a bit to cold here i guess

John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico
If it can't be fixed with bailing wire or duct tape
its not worth fixing

see my pond at:

http://www.fuerjefe.com

"Steve Watson" wrote in message
om...
"Nedra" wrote in message
arthlink.net...
My lotus pond barely has some very small pads ready to open. Can't
figure
out what is wrong. We have had lots of Grackles bathe in the lotus pond
water and now it looks all dirty and black. Along edges it
looks oily. This is a very pretty bird and I would like to keep it
somewhere close.... just not in the ponds.

Yes, they look very attractive with that steel-blue sheen on the
feathers and all -- except when they come by the dozen, and chase off
all the other birds, and s**t all over the patio furniture...
snip

What is a grackle? I had a friend with a bird stuck in her furnace chimney.
Furnace guys said it was a grackle, and that grackles love chimneys. What is
this bird?

BV.

"BenignVanilla" m wrote in
message ...
snip
What is a grackle? I had a friend with a bird stuck in her furnace
chimney.
Furnace guys said it was a grackle, and that grackles love chimneys. What
is
this bird?
snip

Google BV...google...

http://www.surfbirds.com/namericanbirds/cgrackle.html

On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 02:30:45 -0500, Nedra wrote:

Anyone have any ideas on keeping the Grackles out of the lotus pond
water?

Nedra

Float a rubber snake or two?

Cybe R. Wizard
--
Unofficial "Wizard of Odds," A.H.P.
Original PORG "Water Wizard," R.P.
"Wize(ned) Wizard," A.P.F-P-Y.
Barely Tolerated Wizard, A.J.L & A.A.L

Thanks for all the ideas on floating "things". I'm somewhat
worried about the babies up in the cedar trees. Guess I
better wait til they are out of the nest. Boy do I ever
borrow trouble

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Cybe R. Wizard" wrote in message
newsan.2003.04.22.13.12.36.75373.11529@WizardsTo wer...
On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 02:30:45 -0500, Nedra wrote:

Anyone have any ideas on keeping the Grackles out of the lotus pond
water?

Nedra

Float a rubber snake or two?

Cybe R. Wizard
--
Unofficial "Wizard of Odds," A.H.P.
Original PORG "Water Wizard," R.P.
"Wize(ned) Wizard," A.P.F-P-Y.
Barely Tolerated Wizard, A.J.L & A.A.L

I don't have any lotus, but here comes lilly pad #8


On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 10:19:01 GMT, "Nedra"
wrote:

Jammer, I was just guessing - don't know for sure. I do
that the pond has giant oil slicks in it - - not thick just big
ol' places that look oily. No pump is running
so I layed blame squarely on the Grackles. Do any
of your lotuses appear to be growing?
Guess I'd better hook up about 3 air stones.
I do know they (lotus) like aeration.

On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 13:52:54 GMT, wrote:

oil slicks are common on ponds first thing in spring. plant tissue breaks down
putting nutrients into the water... . some of it is oily. Ingrid

Thanks, i was stumped.

Nedra, when did your lotus start showing life last year?

I'm happy to report that the lotus I purchased from Mac's last fall and
divided to two containers is "ALIVE". I was really wondering if I was gonna
have a brown thumb regarding those, but they're both showing growth with
furled pads heading to or at the surface. ) ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website


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Nedra wrote:

Thanks for all the ideas on floating "things". I'm somewhat
worried about the babies up in the cedar trees. Guess I
better wait til they are out of the nest. Boy do I ever
borrow trouble

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Cybe R. Wizard" wrote in message
newsan.2003.04.22.13.12.36.75373.11529@WizardsTo wer...
On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 02:30:45 -0500, Nedra wrote:

Anyone have any ideas on keeping the Grackles out of the lotus pond
water?

Nedra

Float a rubber snake or two?

Cybe R. Wizard
--
Unofficial "Wizard of Odds," A.H.P.
Original PORG "Water Wizard," R.P.
"Wize(ned) Wizard," A.P.F-P-Y.
Barely Tolerated Wizard, A.J.L & A.A.L


It reminds me of when I put plastic water lilies in the tiny preformed
pond to fool the racoons, and they pulled them out and tore them up,
just as they had done the live lilies ---- TELLING ME SOMETHING !!!!!