In the last chapter: Bonnie Espenshade picked up the keyboard and
pecked out:
:: It didn't work for me with the green heron. It would
:: stab a fish through the net and then leave the fish to
:: die,

** Bonnie. I watched the herons here. They don't STAB fish. They catch
them in their beaks, flip them head first towards their throat and swallow
them. If they stabbed them they would be unable to OPEN their beaks to eat
them. Your net was too close to the water. Our nets are above the water by
about 18". They can't reach the fish below, nor is the net's 1" size big
enough for them to remove a fish should they somehow weigh down the net and
grab one. They will *not* land on the netting. I've seen them land near
the pond's edge and look for an opening in the net. They'd go around and
back again. After awhile they gave up and flew off. We didn't see any last
summer, or so far this summer. The local heron population probably knows
it's a waste of time to try and fish here. :-)

because it couldn't get it out from under the net.

** If it couldn't get it out of the net where did it leave the fish to die?
It would fall back into the water when the heron let go of it. Again, they
don't STAB the fish. The Kingfishes (we think it was a KF) didn't stab
them either. They caught them as a heron does and flew away with them in
their beaks.

--�
*.·´¨¨))
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))*
*((¸¸.·´ ..·´
((¸¸.·´* ~ * Carol * ~ *

Carol wrote They don't STAB fish.

Even the mighty heron can miss.
The bill is open but the fish does a
twist and *one* of the mandibles can
stab the fish. It doesn't have to go
all the way in but it can leave a nasty
wound.
A heron in the San Juan Islands, here in
WA state was seen to stab his bill clean
through one turtle's leg 'hole' and out the
another leg. He flew off with the poor turtle
impaled upon his bill.
So yes, a heron can stab a fish.




k30a

~ Windsong ~ wrote:
In the last chapter: Bonnie Espenshade picked up the keyboard and
pecked out:
:: It didn't work for me with the green heron. It would
:: stab a fish through the net and then leave the fish to
:: die,

** Bonnie. I watched the herons here. They don't STAB fish. They catch
them in their beaks, flip them head first towards their throat and swallow
them. If they stabbed them they would be unable to OPEN their beaks to eat
them. Your net was too close to the water. Our nets are above the water by
about 18". They can't reach the fish below, nor is the net's 1" size big
enough for them to remove a fish should they somehow weigh down the net and
grab one. They will *not* land on the netting. I've seen them land near
the pond's edge and look for an opening in the net. They'd go around and
back again. After awhile they gave up and flew off. We didn't see any last
summer, or so far this summer. The local heron population probably knows
it's a waste of time to try and fish here. :-)

because it couldn't get it out from under the net.

** If it couldn't get it out of the net where did it leave the fish to die?
It would fall back into the water when the heron let go of it. Again, they
don't STAB the fish. The Kingfishes (we think it was a KF) didn't stab
them either. They caught them as a heron does and flew away with them in
their beaks.

--�
*.·´¨¨))
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))*
*((¸¸.·´ ..·´
((¸¸.·´* ~ * Carol * ~ *




I'm not the type to agrue, but this is what happened in my
yard. I saw the green heron trying to stab the goldfish
through a net leave and later found the fish under the net
on the slate next to the pond.
The other occasion, I saw a great blue with a koi in it's
beak I chased it off and I tried to save the young koi but
it had a hole in it's head. The only way I can imagine it
got a hole in it's head was that it was stabbed by the
heron. I put the netting up again. My netting was
supported by pvc pipe. The great blue would stand on the
pvc and watch the fish and try to get them through the net.
It finally gave up and left and hasn't returned this year.

--
Bonnie
NJ
http://home.earthlink.net/~maebe43/

Our nets are above the water by
about 18".

Carol,
I've done as you suggested and bought a net. We are lost as how to put it over
the pond/waterfall and not hurt the plants. How do you have yours suspended?
Please give me as much detail as possible as I am a little simple when it comes
to figuring out this stuff. P.S. Scared our heron off twice already this
morning (man he is HUGE, looks you eye-to-eye). Thanks, Cathy

Suggestion for next year? Put your net out early, and the plants will grow
THROUGH the net. This year, the only thing you can do is wiggle the
leaves/fronds through the holes, or perhaps make a "crutch" to hold the net
above the plants.

Good luck-
Lee

"Szpond" wrote in message
...
Our nets are above the water by
about 18".

Carol,
I've done as you suggested and bought a net. We are lost as how to put it
over
the pond/waterfall and not hurt the plants. How do you have yours
suspended?
Please give me as much detail as possible as I am a little simple when it
comes
to figuring out this stuff. P.S. Scared our heron off twice already this
morning (man he is HUGE, looks you eye-to-eye). Thanks, Cathy

Lee Brouillet wrote:
Suggestion for next year? Put your net out early, and the plants will grow
THROUGH the net ... or perhaps make a "crutch" to hold the net
above the plants.

"Szpond" wrote in message
...

I've done as you suggested and bought a net. We are lost as how to put it
over the pond/waterfall and not hurt the plants. How do you have yours
suspended?

Small branches from shrubs or trees (with a fork at the upper end) are
great for holding up netting over pots.
--
Kathy B, zookeeper

In the last chapter: Bonnie Espenshade picked up the keyboard and
::
:: I'm not the type to agrue, but this is what happened in my
:: yard. I saw the green heron trying to stab the goldfish
:: through a net leave and later found the fish under the net
:: on the slate next to the pond.

** Oh, I see what you mean. They can't get them through the net I use.
It's too fine (almost invisible) and the mesh is only 1". If a fish jumps
or something like that happened over our ponds, the fish would fall back
into the water, maybe on the rock necklace and still end up back in the
water. The net doesn't extend over the ground but a few inches.

:: The other occasion, I saw a great blue with a koi in it's
:: beak I chased it off and I tried to save the young koi but
:: it had a hole in it's head.

** They will "peck" them like chickens do and make holes. I've seen that
happen. If the fish is on the ground they'll peck their eyes out.
Gruesome! I can honestly say I never saw a heron here use it's beak like a
spear to spear a fish. We see them down by the lake all the time, and they
SNATCH them in their beaks there too, flip them around and swallow them
headfirst.

The only way I can imagine it
:: got a hole in it's head was that it was stabbed by the
:: heron.

** A heron can peck almost like a chicken. You've surely seen how a hen
pecks a hole in a ripe tomato for example.

I put the netting up again. My netting was
:: supported by pvc pipe. The great blue would stand on the
:: pvc and watch the fish and try to get them through the net.
:: It finally gave up and left and hasn't returned this year.

** My nets are strung over the pond on that garden fencing from Wal-Mart.
First I made a skirt of the net, on this fence, then a cover so it's easy to
remove to tend the pond. Wood clothespins hold the top on tightly and are
barely visible with the plants around the pond's edge. If we ever decide
NOT to keep fish anymore I'll get rid of the nets.
--
Carol.......
"Beat the 5 o'clock rush - leave work at noon."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{@

In the last chapter: Szpond picked up the keyboard and pecked out:
::: Our nets are above the water by
::: about 18".
::
:: Carol,
:: I've done as you suggested and bought a net. We are lost as how
:: to put it over the pond/waterfall and not hurt the plants.

** We bought that cheap metal garden fencing at Wal-Mart that is about 18"
tall. We cut a long strip of the net and made the bottom part. It looked
almost like a rabbit fence. Then we pulled the net itself over this - which
left a good space between the water surface and the net. We re-net in early
spring before the plants make much growth. To save your fish just gently
lay the net over plants and all, peg it down in some way until the fall when
you can do it right. Make sure the bottom of the net is covered in soil to
keep the snakes and frogs out.

How do
:: you have yours suspended? Please give me as much detail as
:: possible as I am a little simple when it comes to figuring out
:: this stuff. P.S. Scared our heron off twice already this morning
:: (man he is HUGE, looks you eye-to-eye). Thanks, Cathy

** See above. We first make the bottom part,.... burying the net a few
inches in the soil. We wrap it around the garden fence and fasten with
small bits of green baggy type wire-ties. This makes a kind of "surround"
open at the top. Then the net is laid over that and fastened with wood
clothes pins that are barely noticeable. These nets need no support because
they're so fine and lightweight. Just pull snugly and use the clothespins
to keep it snug. Make sure the top net is at least 6" longer to pull over
the cheapo wire garden fence. I need to take a picture of how this
looks......
--
Carol.......
"Beat the 5 o'clock rush - leave work at noon."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{@

they stab. one reason wildlife rehab people do not put their eye up to the air holes
on a box holding a heron. They DO go for the eyes.
I have watched em fish (in a wetlands, not my pond) and this one stabbed, came up
with the fish still wiggling, then went to the bank and slammed the fish against the
dirt till it came off the beak, stabbed, did the slamming thing until the fish quit
moving. Most of the fish that survive heron attacks have holes.
Ingrid


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

stick the other end of the forked twigs into the pots. Ingrid

zookeeper wrote:

Lee Brouillet wrote:
Suggestion for next year? Put your net out early, and the plants will grow
THROUGH the net ... or perhaps make a "crutch" to hold the net
above the plants.

"Szpond" wrote in message
...

I've done as you suggested and bought a net. We are lost as how to put it
over the pond/waterfall and not hurt the plants. How do you have yours
suspended?

Small branches from shrubs or trees (with a fork at the upper end) are
great for holding up netting over pots.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.