The Heron/Egret Decoy

[KageBunshin]

Spring is arriving and that spells good news and bad news for my pond. Last summer I lost a great deal of fish (and money) due to a white bird (egret?). This spring I am planning to buy this heron "decoy" that everybody is raving about.

I have heard a lot of good things about it and a lot of bad things. Some people swear by it. I read somewhere that this decoy could actually attract more birds for mating purposes...

I really need you guy's advice, because this is a big problem... Does anybody have experience with this? Any advice?

 

[bribones]

i dont have any problems with birds just cats

but id not be putting up decoys just in case they have the opposite affect

netting is the way to go IMO you can buy it in a variety of colours and its hardly visable keeps everything out of the pond including leaves

 

[STEVIE]

I'm living in Wales in the UK and my fish wouldn't even last the day as there is a very healthy local heron population.I found the plastic decoys to be useless and after talking to a wild bird enthusiast found out that young herons are actually attracted down to feed by these decoys.
The only way i can keep fish is by netting the pond.Occasionally a fish still gets stabbed through the net but they do heal and seem to survive.

 

[Gill]

Mmmmmm I remember we Had a Thread Last year about this.

I remember that herons have very sensitive legs.

So fishing Line Tied to Bamboo Cane going around the pond
The theory is that when the heron lands and walks to the pond it can't as something is brushing its legs and it cant see it and gets fed up and flys off.

 

[George&Ade]

Maybe you could try something like ive got around my pond???

Ive had no probs with the local herons(have a large public pond about 500yds.from here)where there are at least 2 herons.

Also,it seems to deter cats too

 

[Cat]

Your pond looks great george and ada,we have trouble with herons so showed dad your idea,he liked the way your pond is to with the chippings around it.

 

[DannyBoy17]

*Sigh*

I wish we had those last summer. We had 5 huge koi that went missing All the babies are still in there though, and they are gettin real big, real fast.

DB

 

[George&Ade]

Thank you cat.

Decided to put chippings down so its a low maintenance garden now.

I took this picture this afternoon from my bedroom window (heron is about 50 yards from our pond)!!!!!!!!

 

[Cat]

I know they are a bloody pain to people with ponds, but aren't they beautiful when they are stood tall.

Last year I wanted kill one mind you ha ha

 

[koimom]

I agree the herons have a stately manner, but I know we don't want to lose any koi to them either. Things are FINALLY progressing on getting our pond installed in our backyard. We are going to have the steep sides to help keep them away. Our problem is that we live near a local nature center. We've seen opposums, squirrels, crows, roof rats, etc. So far no raccoons, but I wouldn't be surprised. I've even seen a bat local here--it flew into the backyard of our previous house, and came into the deck area to eat a moth before flying away. We had company over for a barbecue and we were all stunned to see it; first time appearance for all of us! While we can't have an inground pond (ours will be raised), I do agree that George and Ada's is beautiful!

 

[RandomWiktor]

So fishing Line Tied to Bamboo Cane going around the pond
The theory is that when the heron lands and walks to the pond it can't as something is brushing its legs and it cant see it and gets fed up and flys off.

I could see a problem arising if the bird gets its legs tangled in fishing wire, something I've seen all to often in wildlife rehab practice. A damaged leg means death to a heron, and so many of them are threatened or endangered. Considering the fact that they are wild animals and have no where else to go, it isn't very fair to kill or cripple them to have a fish hobby

I liked the sturdier line around the pond that G&A showed; it is anchored down and can't get pulled up as easily as bamboo, nor does it seem to be of a material that could get tangled as easily around the birds' legs.

 

[Opcn]

Well the thing is you put the fishingline on taunt enought that it doesnt have the slack to get tangled. I love herons too, but I don't have a large pond with expensive fish or herons within 1000 miles so I guess I am not in a position to speek. Does anyone know about thw floating fish? You tie a hard plastic floating fish to a weight and its brightly colored and gets the herons attention and the heron picks it up and goes to pull it away and runs out of slack in the rope and the fake fish is pulled from its beak and it gets frightened away.

 

[koimom]

The fake fish might just have a possibility, especially if the heron is hungry enough. In one of my recent koi magazines there was an article on an artist who painted canvas paintings of realistic looking koi in the pond. She was selling her wares outside one shop, and one of the paintings obviously passed inspection, for the local heron had made a perfect beak poke mark (sort of like a dagger slash) through the largest looking fish! It also tried to come inside the store for another one of the paintings. Probably increased her business greatly, but it shows how persevering the herons can be...
(Apology also; sorry I misspelled Ade's name in the previous post.)

 

[George&Ade]

In my picture of my pond.......can you see a bamboo frame with mesh on leaning up against the conservatory???

Thats what i made myself and i put it over the pond all winter........keeps the cats away too

 

[Cat]

How deep is your pond G&A?