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Recovery from Heron Attack???
Yesterday, I made the sad discovery that my goldfish suffered a
probable heron attack. It looks like the heron got about half of my 30+ goldfish. The survivors are all spooked (naturally) and won't even come up for food. Some have scrape marks on their bodies where it looks like they escaped the heron's bill. I had a heron around here a couple of years ago, so I put chicken wire over the pond for a couple of weeks. This discouraged the heron and he gave up and didn't return ---- that is, until yesterday (not sure if it was even the same bird - probably not). Anyway, too little & too late, I put the wire back up to protect the remaining fish. My question - Assuming that I can ward off further attacks, will my fish return to their old behavior of coming up for food, eating out of my hand, etc., or will they have the fish equivalent of "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" for the rest of their lives? Anyone know how long it might take for the fish to get back to normal? I also heard that sometimes when aquariums are attacked (e.g. by a cat) the surviving fish sometimes just shut down and die (probably from stress). Hope that doesn't happen to my pond fish. They are just 10-cent feeder goldfish that I've managed to keep alive and healthy for about 10 years, but I hate to lose them just the same. I also realize that it's natural for herons to eat fish so I wouldn't want to harm the bird, even though it's on my s---list right now! (That would be like someone throwing rocks at me everytime I went to the refrigerator!) I'm trying to gradually get the fish used to me being around them again by making frequent, short appearances at the pond, being quiet so as not to spook them, and offering them small amounts of fish food several times a day. Would appreciate any ideas anyone might have recovery from attack. Thanks, Gary |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
My condolences. I've been visited by the big blue bird before as well.
Your fish WILL get over it. Not too worry. FWIW, I don't put netting over my pond, but I do use a scarecrow. Knock on wood, I haven't lost a fish yet (when it was on!) Joe On 5/14/04 3:28 PM, "Gary" wrote: Yesterday, I made the sad discovery that my goldfish suffered a probable heron attack. It looks like the heron got about half of my 30+ goldfish. The survivors are all spooked (naturally) and won't even come up for food. Some have scrape marks on their bodies where it looks like they escaped the heron's bill. I had a heron around here a couple of years ago, so I put chicken wire over the pond for a couple of weeks. This discouraged the heron and he gave up and didn't return ---- that is, until yesterday (not sure if it was even the same bird - probably not). Anyway, too little & too late, I put the wire back up to protect the remaining fish. My question - Assuming that I can ward off further attacks, will my fish return to their old behavior of coming up for food, eating out of my hand, etc., or will they have the fish equivalent of "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" for the rest of their lives? Anyone know how long it might take for the fish to get back to normal? I also heard that sometimes when aquariums are attacked (e.g. by a cat) the surviving fish sometimes just shut down and die (probably from stress). Hope that doesn't happen to my pond fish. They are just 10-cent feeder goldfish that I've managed to keep alive and healthy for about 10 years, but I hate to lose them just the same. I also realize that it's natural for herons to eat fish so I wouldn't want to harm the bird, even though it's on my s---list right now! (That would be like someone throwing rocks at me everytime I went to the refrigerator!) I'm trying to gradually get the fish used to me being around them again by making frequent, short appearances at the pond, being quiet so as not to spook them, and offering them small amounts of fish food several times a day. Would appreciate any ideas anyone might have recovery from attack. Thanks, Gary -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
My uncle's pond was attacked too. If I stood on the side that the Heron
stood, all the fish would hide. They haven't recovered. My Koi were attacked when they were in an aquarium. They would hide when I came to feed. Now that they're in the pond, they would bump into my hands when I fix the plants. If your fish has severe PTSD, try relocating them to temporary location? Gary wrote: Yesterday, I made the sad discovery that my goldfish suffered a probable heron attack. It looks like the heron got about half of my 30+ goldfish. The survivors are all spooked (naturally) and won't even come up for food. Some have scrape marks on their bodies where it looks like they escaped the heron's bill. I had a heron around here a couple of years ago, so I put chicken wire over the pond for a couple of weeks. This discouraged the heron and he gave up and didn't return ---- that is, until yesterday (not sure if it was even the same bird - probably not). Anyway, too little & too late, I put the wire back up to protect the remaining fish. My question - Assuming that I can ward off further attacks, will my fish return to their old behavior of coming up for food, eating out of my hand, etc., or will they have the fish equivalent of "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" for the rest of their lives? Anyone know how long it might take for the fish to get back to normal? I also heard that sometimes when aquariums are attacked (e.g. by a cat) the surviving fish sometimes just shut down and die (probably from stress). Hope that doesn't happen to my pond fish. They are just 10-cent feeder goldfish that I've managed to keep alive and healthy for about 10 years, but I hate to lose them just the same. I also realize that it's natural for herons to eat fish so I wouldn't want to harm the bird, even though it's on my s---list right now! (That would be like someone throwing rocks at me everytime I went to the refrigerator!) I'm trying to gradually get the fish used to me being around them again by making frequent, short appearances at the pond, being quiet so as not to spook them, and offering them small amounts of fish food several times a day. Would appreciate any ideas anyone might have recovery from attack. Thanks, Gary |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
"Gary" wrote in message om... Yesterday, I made the sad discovery that my goldfish suffered a probable heron attack. It looks like the heron got about half of my 30+ goldfish. The survivors are all spooked (naturally) and won't even come up for food. Some have scrape marks on their bodies where it looks like they escaped the heron's bill. I had a heron around here a couple of years ago, so I put chicken wire over the pond for a couple of weeks. This discouraged the heron and he gave up and didn't return ---- that is, until yesterday (not sure if it was even the same bird - probably not). Anyway, too little & too late, I put the wire back up to protect the remaining fish. ** We have to keep bird netting over our ponds or wouldn't have one fish left. The herons do keep coming back and will come back until your pond is cleaned out completely. Snakes, mud turtles, and bullfrogs also feed on fish. My question - Assuming that I can ward off further attacks, will my fish return to their old behavior of coming up for food, eating out of my hand, etc., or will they have the fish equivalent of "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" for the rest of their lives? ** In time they forget the attack and return to normal - or mine did (after a week or so.) Anyone know how long it might take for the fish to get back to normal? I also heard that sometimes when aquariums are attacked (e.g. by a cat) the surviving fish sometimes just shut down and die (probably from stress). Hope that doesn't happen to my pond fish. They are just 10-cent feeder goldfish that I've managed to keep alive and healthy for about 10 years, but I hate to lose them just the same. I also realize that it's natural for herons to eat fish so I wouldn't want to harm the bird, even though it's on my s---list right now! (That would be like someone throwing rocks at me everytime I went to the refrigerator!) ** Get that tough fine black bird netting at Ace Hardware. It works great and is not expensive. I'm trying to gradually get the fish used to me being around them again by making frequent, short appearances at the pond, being quiet so as not to spook them, and offering them small amounts of fish food several times a day. Would appreciate any ideas anyone might have recovery from attack. Thanks, Gary -- Carol.... "A closed mouth gathers no feet." http://www.heartoftn.net/users/windsong/index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
I also have a population of former feeder goldfish I have had for 15 or so
years. I had a heron attack about 3 years ago that cut the number to about 10% of former times, and took mainly the bigger fish. The goldfish took a month (what was left of them) to recover their former behavior. Have your goldfish developed interesting genetic modifications? I have colors ranging from nearly white to very dark greenish gold and almost black, and all kinds of fancy finnage. "Gary" wrote in message om... Yesterday, I made the sad discovery that my goldfish suffered a probable heron attack. It looks like the heron got about half of my 30+ goldfish. The survivors are all spooked (naturally) and won't even come up for food. |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
I also had a heron attack last year, the *^#@! bird got 12 or so of my
biggest gold fish and 3 frogs. I went to Lowes and bought a Regent digital wireless motion activated alarm. The receiver part has a receptacle to plug in a lamp or what ever. I put it in a zip lock bag to seal it from the weather. I bought a party strobe and put it in a large zip lock bag and plugged it in to the recipatical of the unit. I aimed the motion sensor at the pond. Now when anything goes near my pond you hear a door bell sound and a bright strobe light goes off. I cover the motion sensor with foil when I am out by the pond to keep the strobe off. This has worked well for me but don't forget to take the foil off when you go in or the *^#+@! bird will come to see you again. Also be sure to keep the receiver unit as water tight as you can as it is made for indoors hence the zip lock bags and tape.for both strobe and unit. Steve |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Now seems like a good time to post heron
hints for new ponders checking out this thread..... Tips for herons, egrets and other fishing birds: - netting over the pond - chimney flue in the bottom of the pond for fish to hide in and feel safe - put in an electric fido shock fence - a motion activated sprinkler - Migratory Bird Act forbids lethal methods, heavy fines and jail time take away from pond time ;-) kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Thanks, everyone, for your comments and great suggestions. The
chicken wire is just a temporary measure(effective, but a high ugliness factor), so I will need to give some careful thought to the options for a more permanent solution. BTW, I'm surprised that, today, the fish are beginning to come back up to the top to check me out when I approach and to eat again. That's encouraging! Sean - over the years my fish have developed some interesting colors and finnage. I don't have any black ones, but several mottled white/orange ones, yellow/gold ones, some totally white, some intense, deep orange. As far as fins go, again, lots of variety. One has very short fins (looks like he has a crew-cut - so I call him "Butch") while others have very long, flowing tails and fins, like "Rapunzel" and "Lady Godiva." Some of them have tails that are considerably longer than their bodies. The young ones are usually black but they dont stay that color after they get big enough to defend themselves. Gary |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Does anyone know how many fish and how big a fish herons will eat? We
have a 1/2 acre pond ,20 years old that we stocked with bluegills and bass. For years we could catch as many as we wanted at any time. This year I have fished twice for an hour or so, and have caught nothing but 2 4-5" bullheads. We have never caught a bullhead in 20 years. We have herons at the pond several times a day. Where have all the bluegills/bass gone? I have never seen a dead fish inthe pond. The deep end is 10-12 feet. There seems to be more algae than normal. The bottom is all marl. Thanks for any thoughts you might have. We are inMichigan. Steve |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
A couple thoughts - How was your last winter? Fish could have died and been consumed by the bullheads since dead critters are part of their diet. Could you, or someone else, overfished the pond? Herons usually hunt in the shallows by stalking and stealth. In addition to fish they take frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, newts and large aquatic insects out of a pond. If they are feeding a nest full of young they will be catching more than they, themselves, need. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
We live in extreme Southern Michigan and had a very moderate winter.
Until this year we have never seen a bullhead in the pond. Our bluegills were as large as 9-10 inches and our bass were 14-15 inches. As far as overfishing, I doubt we have taken 25 fish out over 20 years. I love to see the herons come and they can have whatever they need, I just can't imagine they need the larger fish. As I said, we are seeing more algae this year, so I am checking into that. |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Bullheads like murky water and thrive in it. They are considered a game fish (not sure why, they don't look very tasty ;-) I'm curious, where did the bullheads come from? Does the pond have an inlet from a creek or stream? In Oregon (right next door to us) I read an article about 'bucket biologists'. People who decide to 'stock' their favorite lake with an exotic or illegal fish for all sorts of different reasons. They dump in the fish and 10-20 years later the lake has a huge problem with the introduced fish changing the ecological balance. Another option for you is to contact your fish and wildlife office. It is in their best interest to keep all lakes in the state healthy. They might have reasons for you and suggestion about the algae bloom. Not sure about the bullheads since they are listed as a game fish. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Our pond is right at the edge of a 50 acre wetland. There is no stream
inlet or outlet. When we had the pond dug the excavator said it was spring fed and you see two areas at the bottom that remained clear for years. The pond filled in a couple days and the level varies very little, even in the dry summer months. We bought the bluegills and bass from a fish hatchery and put in no bullheads. And didn't see any for 20 years or more. |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Fish eggs can be transported via animals or birds.
The eggs 'stick' to the fur or scaled feet of the critters and end up falling off in a new pond or water source. The eggs can also travel attached to vegetation which in turn is transported in animal coats or in their paws or feet. Ornamental ponders are always accidently sending off fish eggs in plants exchanges. Clams, mussels, insect larvae, tube worms, snails, leeches and amphibian eggs have also traveled via this method. This is probably what happened with your pond. A wildlife fish biologist could probably tell you if bullheads would out compete your bluegill and bass for food resources in your pond. I did find that small fish make up a small part of the bullhead diet. They make good use of varied food sources which makes them successful in turbid ponds. And two other significant facts One, they have few predators.: Black bullheads have large, sharp spines at the front of their dorsal (top) and pectoral (side) fins. When bothered, they lock them in a straight-out position making them very hard to swallow. These spines and the fishes' preference for eating mostly at night make black bullheads an uncommon prey for other fish. and as for algae and lack of clarity in your water right now, It is a hardy fish that tolerates turbid (muddy) water, warm temperatures, and low oxygen concentrations. The black bullhead can tolerate conditions many other types of fish cannot. Your pond's natural predilection is to fill in. It is mother nature's way of providing for fertile fields. Your pond has been following this path for 20 years now and its becoming more of a habitat that bullheads enjoy. It may be time to do some more excavating. A really good book dealhe book on maintenance and renewal of older ponds. Some starting as 'old' as ten years into the ponds life. Your pond at 20 years may be a candidate for this. Our pond is right at the edge of a 50 acre wetland. There is no stream inlet or outlet. When we had the pond dug the excavator said it was spring fed and you see two areas at the bottom that remained clear for years. The pond filled in a couple days and the level varies very little, even in the dry summer months. We bought the bluegills and bass from a fish hatchery and put in no bullheads. And didn't see any for 20 years or more. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Edit alert!!
I was supposed to write A really good book to read is: EARTH PONDS SOURCE BOOK by Tim Matson. It has a section that deals with maintenance and renewal of older ponds. Some starting as 'old' as ten years into the ponds life. Your pond at 20 years may be a candidate for this. Sorry about that! kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
"steve evans" wrote in message ... Our pond is right at the edge of a 50 acre wetland. There is no stream inlet or outlet. When we had the pond dug the excavator said it was spring fed and you see two areas at the bottom that remained clear for years. The pond filled in a couple days and the level varies very little, even in the dry summer months. We bought the bluegills and bass from a fish hatchery and put in no bullheads. And didn't see any for 20 years or more. Do you live in a karst area (cave country)? You said you have marl at the bottom. Is it solid, fractured, or does it have crevaces and/or possibly a cave passage at the bottom? The reason why I asked is that if the opening is large enough, or has enlarged over the last year, your fish may now be swimming somewhere else, or else found themselves lost in an underground bedrock channel, and couldn't find their way back. In that case, they probably starved. I know this sounds goofy, but I am a geologist and live in Kentucky where we have lots of caves and cave springs. It is not unusual for ponds in certain areas of the state to suddenly loose all of the fish. I actually saw a sinkhole open up in the bottom of a pond once, and drain the entire pond, fish and all, in about 10 minutes. That obviously didn't happen to you, but if there is a submerged passage (the spring water has to be coming from somewhere, possibly the marsh), it won't drain the pond, but actually feed water to it, as you've said that it does. If there are openings in the bottom large enough for fish to enter, they generally will. |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
"Ka30P" wrote in message ... Now seems like a good time to post heron hints for new ponders checking out this thread..... Tips for herons, egrets and other fishing birds: - netting over the pond - chimney flue in the bottom of the pond for fish to hide in and feel safe - put in an electric fido shock fence - a motion activated sprinkler - Migratory Bird Act forbids lethal methods, heavy fines and jail time take away from pond time ;-) kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A I have an appenzellar cattle dog/border collie mix that chases and catches birds, squirrels, rabbits, and mice, etc. She isn't on the side of the fence where the pond is located, but I think her presence so close by, and the fact that I have a viscious 26" long albino channel catfish (at least 5 lbs) in the pond has so far prevented any attacks. It swagged a squirrel yesterday with its tail. The squirrel almost had a heart attack. I heard a goose today somewhere, but didn't see it. It will be interesting to see if it comes around and tries to steal some fish, and what the catfish and the dog will do if it does. I have my fingers crossed for now. |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Well.. George, so your a geologist! Exactly what I have wanted
to be all my life. Your post was music to my ears ... Nedra http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836 http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118 "George" wrote in message .. . "steve evans" wrote in message ... Our pond is right at the edge of a 50 acre wetland. There is no stream inlet or outlet. When we had the pond dug the excavator said it was spring fed and you see two areas at the bottom that remained clear for years. The pond filled in a couple days and the level varies very little, even in the dry summer months. We bought the bluegills and bass from a fish hatchery and put in no bullheads. And didn't see any for 20 years or more. Do you live in a karst area (cave country)? You said you have marl at the bottom. Is it solid, fractured, or does it have crevaces and/or possibly a cave passage at the bottom? The reason why I asked is that if the opening is large enough, or has enlarged over the last year, your fish may now be swimming somewhere else, or else found themselves lost in an underground bedrock channel, and couldn't find their way back. In that case, they probably starved. I know this sounds goofy, but I am a geologist and live in Kentucky where we have lots of caves and cave springs. It is not unusual for ponds in certain areas of the state to suddenly loose all of the fish. I actually saw a sinkhole open up in the bottom of a pond once, and drain the entire pond, fish and all, in about 10 minutes. That obviously didn't happen to you, but if there is a submerged passage (the spring water has to be coming from somewhere, possibly the marsh), it won't drain the pond, but actually feed water to it, as you've said that it does. If there are openings in the bottom large enough for fish to enter, they generally will. |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
"Nedra" wrote in message nk.net... Well.. George, so your a geologist! Exactly what I have wanted to be all my life. Your post was music to my ears ... Well, it is certainly not for everyone. I have enjoyed it. It has allowed me to see things and go places a lot of people don't get to experience. But the work can be rather tedious at times. And the paperwork sucks. But then, what paperwork doesn't? Nedra http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836 http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118 "George" wrote in message .. . "steve evans" wrote in message ... Our pond is right at the edge of a 50 acre wetland. There is no stream inlet or outlet. When we had the pond dug the excavator said it was spring fed and you see two areas at the bottom that remained clear for years. The pond filled in a couple days and the level varies very little, even in the dry summer months. We bought the bluegills and bass from a fish hatchery and put in no bullheads. And didn't see any for 20 years or more. Do you live in a karst area (cave country)? You said you have marl at the bottom. Is it solid, fractured, or does it have crevaces and/or possibly a cave passage at the bottom? The reason why I asked is that if the opening is large enough, or has enlarged over the last year, your fish may now be swimming somewhere else, or else found themselves lost in an underground bedrock channel, and couldn't find their way back. In that case, they probably starved. I know this sounds goofy, but I am a geologist and live in Kentucky where we have lots of caves and cave springs. It is not unusual for ponds in certain areas of the state to suddenly loose all of the fish. I actually saw a sinkhole open up in the bottom of a pond once, and drain the entire pond, fish and all, in about 10 minutes. That obviously didn't happen to you, but if there is a submerged passage (the spring water has to be coming from somewhere, possibly the marsh), it won't drain the pond, but actually feed water to it, as you've said that it does. If there are openings in the bottom large enough for fish to enter, they generally will. |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Speaking of paperwork ... whilst dreaming dreams of being
a geolgist ... I was working for Dept of Army - paperwork?? OMG :( Nedra http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836 http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118 "George" wrote in message .. . "Nedra" wrote in message nk.net... Well.. George, so your a geologist! Exactly what I have wanted to be all my life. Your post was music to my ears ... Well, it is certainly not for everyone. I have enjoyed it. It has allowed me to see things and go places a lot of people don't get to experience. But the work can be rather tedious at times. And the paperwork sucks. But then, what paperwork doesn't? Nedra http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836 http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118 "George" wrote in message .. . "steve evans" wrote in message ... Our pond is right at the edge of a 50 acre wetland. There is no stream inlet or outlet. When we had the pond dug the excavator said it was spring fed and you see two areas at the bottom that remained clear for years. The pond filled in a couple days and the level varies very little, even in the dry summer months. We bought the bluegills and bass from a fish hatchery and put in no bullheads. And didn't see any for 20 years or more. Do you live in a karst area (cave country)? You said you have marl at the bottom. Is it solid, fractured, or does it have crevaces and/or possibly a cave passage at the bottom? The reason why I asked is that if the opening is large enough, or has enlarged over the last year, your fish may now be swimming somewhere else, or else found themselves lost in an underground bedrock channel, and couldn't find their way back. In that case, they probably starved. I know this sounds goofy, but I am a geologist and live in Kentucky where we have lots of caves and cave springs. It is not unusual for ponds in certain areas of the state to suddenly loose all of the fish. I actually saw a sinkhole open up in the bottom of a pond once, and drain the entire pond, fish and all, in about 10 minutes. That obviously didn't happen to you, but if there is a submerged passage (the spring water has to be coming from somewhere, possibly the marsh), it won't drain the pond, but actually feed water to it, as you've said that it does. If there are openings in the bottom large enough for fish to enter, they generally will. |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
"Nedra" wrote in message nk.net... Speaking of paperwork ... whilst dreaming dreams of being a geolgist ... I was working for Dept of Army - paperwork?? OMG :( Nedra My wife is the environmental coordinator for the Kentucky Bureau of Military Affairs, so I can understand about the paperwork. She complains about it all the time. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836 http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118 "George" wrote in message .. . "Nedra" wrote in message nk.net... Well.. George, so your a geologist! Exactly what I have wanted to be all my life. Your post was music to my ears ... Well, it is certainly not for everyone. I have enjoyed it. It has allowed me to see things and go places a lot of people don't get to experience. But the work can be rather tedious at times. And the paperwork sucks. But then, what paperwork doesn't? Nedra http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836 http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118 "George" wrote in message .. . "steve evans" wrote in message ... Our pond is right at the edge of a 50 acre wetland. There is no stream inlet or outlet. When we had the pond dug the excavator said it was spring fed and you see two areas at the bottom that remained clear for years. The pond filled in a couple days and the level varies very little, even in the dry summer months. We bought the bluegills and bass from a fish hatchery and put in no bullheads. And didn't see any for 20 years or more. Do you live in a karst area (cave country)? You said you have marl at the bottom. Is it solid, fractured, or does it have crevaces and/or possibly a cave passage at the bottom? The reason why I asked is that if the opening is large enough, or has enlarged over the last year, your fish may now be swimming somewhere else, or else found themselves lost in an underground bedrock channel, and couldn't find their way back. In that case, they probably starved. I know this sounds goofy, but I am a geologist and live in Kentucky where we have lots of caves and cave springs. It is not unusual for ponds in certain areas of the state to suddenly loose all of the fish. I actually saw a sinkhole open up in the bottom of a pond once, and drain the entire pond, fish and all, in about 10 minutes. That obviously didn't happen to you, but if there is a submerged passage (the spring water has to be coming from somewhere, possibly the marsh), it won't drain the pond, but actually feed water to it, as you've said that it does. If there are openings in the bottom large enough for fish to enter, they generally will. |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Gary I use a motion activated water jet (water scare crow) but, after
some losses last year due to a racoon who obviously didn't mind getting we, have also put netting over the pond. The local garden supplie shops sell very thin black plasting netting (about 1/2" squares) intended for covering fruit trees to keep birds out. It is cheap and light and when stretched thight across the pond above the level of the water it is all but invisble from more that 10 feet away - so you can actually look at your pond and enjoy the sight. So far no more losses. Good luck Gary wrote: Thanks, everyone, for your comments and great suggestions. The chicken wire is just a temporary measure(effective, but a high ugliness factor), so I will need to give some careful thought to the options for a more permanent solution. BTW, I'm surprised that, today, the fish are beginning to come back up to the top to check me out when I approach and to eat again. That's encouraging! Sean - over the years my fish have developed some interesting colors and finnage. I don't have any black ones, but several mottled white/orange ones, yellow/gold ones, some totally white, some intense, deep orange. As far as fins go, again, lots of variety. One has very short fins (looks like he has a crew-cut - so I call him "Butch") while others have very long, flowing tails and fins, like "Rapunzel" and "Lady Godiva." Some of them have tails that are considerably longer than their bodies. The young ones are usually black but they dont stay that color after they get big enough to defend themselves. Gary |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
One ponder lady who lived next to a large nature pond said she saw a heron
down a ~24" carp. Took it 30 minutes to get its mouth shut over it. All I could think of was, where's the coyotes (also in this area) when you need them? ~ jan On Mon, 17 May 2004 10:36:14 -0400, (steve evans) wrote: We live in extreme Southern Michigan and had a very moderate winter. Until this year we have never seen a bullhead in the pond. Our bluegills were as large as 9-10 inches and our bass were 14-15 inches. As far as overfishing, I doubt we have taken 25 fish out over 20 years. I love to see the herons come and they can have whatever they need, I just can't imagine they need the larger fish. As I said, we are seeing more algae this year, so I am checking into that. (Do you know where your water quality is?) |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
I had an interesting coversation yesterday with my local professional pond guy. He said that here in GA it's a huge fine if you kill a heron without a license... but the license fee is $25. Hmmmm... On Sat, 22 May 2004 18:43:59 GMT, ~ jan JJsPond.us wrote: One ponder lady who lived next to a large nature pond said she saw a heron down a ~24" carp. Took it 30 minutes to get its mouth shut over it. All I could think of was, where's the coyotes (also in this area) when you need them? ~ jan On Mon, 17 May 2004 10:36:14 -0400, (steve evans) wrote: We live in extreme Southern Michigan and had a very moderate winter. Until this year we have never seen a bullhead in the pond. Our bluegills were as large as 9-10 inches and our bass were 14-15 inches. As far as overfishing, I doubt we have taken 25 fish out over 20 years. I love to see the herons come and they can have whatever they need, I just can't imagine they need the larger fish. As I said, we are seeing more algae this year, so I am checking into that. (Do you know where your water quality is?) Mike Patterson Please remove the spamtrap to email me. "I always wanted to be somebody. I should have been more specific..." |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
Mike wrote I had an interesting coversation yesterday with my local
professional pond guy. He said that here in GA it's a huge fine if you kill a heron without a license... but the license fee is $25. It is very important to continued participation in ponding and rec.ponds to dot all your i's and cross all your t's in this matter as the federal Migratory Bird Act protects herons. "A violation of the act is considered a misdemeanor offense resulting in fines up to $500 and six months in jail." and "The Great Blue Heron has earned the enmity of man in some areas where goldfish, turtles, frogs, or trout are raised commercially. Once one of these herons learns how simple it is to obtain food at a trout hatchery, for example, it may be trapped or shot. However, only individual troublesome birds justify this practice, which can only be done by permit. " On rec.ponds we have heard of one ponder who was allowed to do this. And I do believe it was in the South somewhere. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Recovery from Heron Attack???
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Recovery from Heron Attack???
Mike wrote Or maybe it's very difficult to qualify for purchasing the permit. I think that is the case. The ponder who we heard about being able to get fatally rid of the heron had tried everything, this was one determined bird. And the ponder was elderly. I posted all the rest of the information because of the all too often suggest 'shoot 'em' solution to heron problems. Also why I stick it at the bottom of my heron hints. Figure repeating it often can't hurt with all the tri-zillions of messages out there. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
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