We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered and
nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking purposefully
across the lawn towards the old fish pond. By the time he got to the
back door it had reached the pond and it flew off as he shouted and
clapped his hands. I'm pretty sure it ws clasping something in its
beak. Why they can't use the River Dart which is all of 2 miles away,
I don't know!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Sacha wrote:
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered
and nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking SNIP

I know how you feel, I had my pond completely emptied by a largish heron 2
years ago (20 odd fish). They are always coming back but touch wood Ive been
up to their tactics since!

On 2009-12-16 15:17:43 +0000, "~Brian~" said:

Sacha wrote:
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered
and nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking SNIP

I know how you feel, I had my pond completely emptied by a largish heron 2
years ago (20 odd fish). They are always coming back but touch wood Ive been
up to their tactics since!

Usually, they're early morning visitors. Either this one is
excessively bold or excessively hungry!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Sacha wrote:
On 2009-12-16 15:17:43 +0000, "~Brian~" said:

Sacha wrote:
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered
and nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking SNIP

I know how you feel, I had my pond completely emptied by a largish
heron 2
years ago (20 odd fish). They are always coming back but touch wood
Ive been
up to their tactics since!

Usually, they're early morning visitors. Either this one is excessively
bold or excessively hungry!

Yesterday, one dropped by a pond about twenty yards from where I was
walking.

Remember, when a heron alights, it always does so some distance from the
water, then walks in. To deter them, drive some pegs into the ground a
few inches from the margin, and tightly run a strand of thin nylon
fishing-line round the pond at about four to five inches above the ground.

As it steps towards the water, the heron will feel it against its foot
and fly off in alarm.

--
Rusty

Sacha wrote:
On 2009-12-16 15:17:43 +0000, "~Brian~" said:

Sacha wrote:
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered
and nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking
SNIP

I know how you feel, I had my pond completely emptied by a largish
heron 2 years ago (20 odd fish). They are always coming back but
touch wood Ive been up to their tactics since!

Usually, they're early morning visitors. Either this one is
excessively bold or excessively hungry!


I am normally up at around 5.00am and was just about to have my first coffee
of the day and I saw it by the pond, wow! was it ever big, must have emtied
the pond before I saw it. As I walked out to shoo it of it took to the air.
They come in from the local marshes and the estuary. Touch wood have not
seen one in ages.

Rusty Hinge wrote:
Sacha wrote:
On 2009-12-16 15:17:43 +0000, "~Brian~" said:

Sacha wrote:
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered
and nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking
SNIP

I know how you feel, I had my pond completely emptied by a largish
heron 2
years ago (20 odd fish). They are always coming back but touch wood
Ive been
up to their tactics since!

Usually, they're early morning visitors. Either this one is
excessively bold or excessively hungry!

Yesterday, one dropped by a pond about twenty yards from where I was
walking.

Remember, when a heron alights, it always does so some distance from
the water, then walks in. To deter them, drive some pegs into the
ground a few inches from the margin, and tightly run a strand of thin
nylon fishing-line round the pond at about four to five inches above
the ground.
As it steps towards the water, the heron will feel it against its foot
and fly off in alarm.

I did this on my pond for a couple of months, maybe thats why they havent
been back?

"Sacha" wrote...
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered and
nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking purposefully
across the lawn towards the old fish pond. By the time he got to the back
door it had reached the pond and it flew off as he shouted and clapped his
hands. I'm pretty sure it ws clasping something in its beak. Why they
can't use the River Dart which is all of 2 miles away, I don't know!

Last week I had a visit from one of our neighbours, she was just going out
and saw something land in her garden just after she saw a Heron fly over
low. She noticed it was a fish flapping around and went out and found a Koi
a bit worse for wear, put it in her pond and it swam off. It was not one of
her fish.
It is still alive a week later.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered and
nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking purposefully
across the lawn towards the old fish pond. By the time he got to the back
door it had reached the pond and it flew off as he shouted and clapped his
hands. I'm pretty sure it ws clasping something in its beak. Why they
can't use the River Dart which is all of 2 miles away, I don't know!
--

Because, like foxes, captive prey is easier. Sounds like time for a net, or
if the pond is too big for that I've heard that a wire at a certain height
all round the edge keeps them off as they like to wade in. Can't remember
the height but Google is sure to be your friend..

Tina

Sacha wrote:

We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered and
nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking purposefully
across the lawn towards the old fish pond. By the time he got to the
back door it had reached the pond and it flew off as he shouted and
clapped his hands. I'm pretty sure it ws clasping something in its
beak. Why they can't use the River Dart which is all of 2 miles away,
I don't know!

Only too happy to keep topping up my pond with fish if attracts Herons
and Kingfishers :-)

Larry

On 2009-12-16 16:06:34 +0000, Rusty Hinge
said:

Sacha wrote:
On 2009-12-16 15:17:43 +0000, "~Brian~" said:

Sacha wrote:
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered
and nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking SNIP

I know how you feel, I had my pond completely emptied by a largish heron 2
years ago (20 odd fish). They are always coming back but touch wood Ive been
up to their tactics since!

Usually, they're early morning visitors. Either this one is
excessively bold or excessively hungry!

Yesterday, one dropped by a pond about twenty yards from where I was walking.

Remember, when a heron alights, it always does so some distance from
the water, then walks in. To deter them, drive some pegs into the
ground a few inches from the margin, and tightly run a strand of thin
nylon fishing-line round the pond at about four to five inches above
the ground.

As it steps towards the water, the heron will feel it against its foot
and fly off in alarm.


Two problems there, Rusty, this particular pond is surrounded entirely
by paving so we can't put posts into anything. We could in the other
fishpond which is on the big lawn but I will absolutely guarantee that
some member of the public will walk straight into it and trip over it.
One could hardly blame them as the line's supposed to be invisible,
after all! We reckon this heron was walking from one pond - the lawn
one - to the other, the paved one and was just very, very cheeky.
We've seen them visiting both ponds but never in the afternoon.
Because we've had some sun today (!) the fish were up and basking a
little and the herons must know where this buffet table is located.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

On 2009-12-16 16:49:37 +0000, "Bob Hobden" said:



"Sacha" wrote...
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered and
nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking purposefully
across the lawn towards the old fish pond. By the time he got to the
back door it had reached the pond and it flew off as he shouted and
clapped his hands. I'm pretty sure it ws clasping something in its
beak. Why they can't use the River Dart which is all of 2 miles away,
I don't know!

Last week I had a visit from one of our neighbours, she was just going
out and saw something land in her garden just after she saw a Heron fly
over low. She noticed it was a fish flapping around and went out and
found a Koi a bit worse for wear, put it in her pond and it swam off.
It was not one of her fish.
It is still alive a week later.

A rescue story from a Knightess in shining armour! We don't begrudge
them the odd fish or three but we really don't want both ponds cleared
out. Both fishponds are around 3' to 4' deep and there's plenty of
vegetation for the fish to hide in but the poor things are traumatised
and don't re-surface for days after a heron visit.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

On 2009-12-16 17:58:37 +0000, (Larry Stoter) said:

Sacha wrote:

We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered and
nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking purposefully
across the lawn towards the old fish pond. By the time he got to the
back door it had reached the pond and it flew off as he shouted and
clapped his hands. I'm pretty sure it ws clasping something in its
beak. Why they can't use the River Dart which is all of 2 miles away,
I don't know!

Only too happy to keep topping up my pond with fish if attracts Herons
and Kingfishers :-)

Larry

But I have some pretty ones in there that I..........oh, never mind!
We've never had Kingfishers here and I doubt we would. The land around
us is too open, I think.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

"Sacha" wrote...
"Bob Hobden" said:
"Sacha" wrote...
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered and
nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking purposefully
across the lawn towards the old fish pond. By the time he got to the
back door it had reached the pond and it flew off as he shouted and
clapped his hands. I'm pretty sure it ws clasping something in its
beak. Why they can't use the River Dart which is all of 2 miles away, I
don't know!

Last week I had a visit from one of our neighbours, she was just going
out and saw something land in her garden just after she saw a Heron fly
over low. She noticed it was a fish flapping around and went out and
found a Koi a bit worse for wear, put it in her pond and it swam off. It
was not one of her fish.
It is still alive a week later.

A rescue story from a Knightess in shining armour! We don't begrudge
them the odd fish or three but we really don't want both ponds cleared
out. Both fishponds are around 3' to 4' deep and there's plenty of
vegetation for the fish to hide in but the poor things are traumatised and
don't re-surface for days after a heron visit.

Always worth putting some large clay flower pots on their side on the bottom
of the pond so they have somewhere safe to hide.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On 2009-12-16 22:03:29 +0000, "Bob Hobden" said:



"Sacha" wrote...
"Bob Hobden" said:
"Sacha" wrote...
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered and
nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking purposefully
across the lawn towards the old fish pond. By the time he got to the
back door it had reached the pond and it flew off as he shouted and
clapped his hands. I'm pretty sure it ws clasping something in its
beak. Why they can't use the River Dart which is all of 2 miles away,
I don't know!

Last week I had a visit from one of our neighbours, she was just going
out and saw something land in her garden just after she saw a Heron fly
over low. She noticed it was a fish flapping around and went out and
found a Koi a bit worse for wear, put it in her pond and it swam off.
It was not one of her fish.
It is still alive a week later.

A rescue story from a Knightess in shining armour! We don't begrudge
them the odd fish or three but we really don't want both ponds cleared
out. Both fishponds are around 3' to 4' deep and there's plenty of
vegetation for the fish to hide in but the poor things are traumatised
and don't re-surface for days after a heron visit.

Always worth putting some large clay flower pots on their side on the
bottom of the pond so they have somewhere safe to hide.

There's so much vegetation I don't think hiding is their problem.
Daring to re-surface is, however!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

"Sacha" wrote ...
"Bob Hobden" said:
"Sacha" wrote...
"Bob Hobden" said:
"Sacha" wrote...
We were just finishing lunch (well, a sandwich) when Ray spluttered
and nearly dropped his water glass. He'd seen a heron stalking
purposefully across the lawn towards the old fish pond. By the time
he got to the back door it had reached the pond and it flew off as he
shouted and clapped his hands. I'm pretty sure it ws clasping
something in its beak. Why they can't use the River Dart which is all
of 2 miles away, I don't know!

Last week I had a visit from one of our neighbours, she was just going
out and saw something land in her garden just after she saw a Heron fly
over low. She noticed it was a fish flapping around and went out and
found a Koi a bit worse for wear, put it in her pond and it swam off.
It was not one of her fish.
It is still alive a week later.

A rescue story from a Knightess in shining armour! We don't begrudge
them the odd fish or three but we really don't want both ponds cleared
out. Both fishponds are around 3' to 4' deep and there's plenty of
vegetation for the fish to hide in but the poor things are traumatised
and don't re-surface for days after a heron visit.

Always worth putting some large clay flower pots on their side on the
bottom of the pond so they have somewhere safe to hide.

There's so much vegetation I don't think hiding is their problem. Daring
to re-surface is, however!

Whilst your ponds are quite deep a lot of people have them only 18 inches
deep and a Heron will pad around in the greenery and frighten the fish out,
a solid pot or wide necked jar or some other sort of solid "house" will stop
this happening.
That said I did see a Heron once wading so deep it looked like a duck
floating on the water, quite confused me at first.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK