# Herons



## Jake Ranson (30 Jul 2019)

Hi All

I seem to have attracted a heron to my pond (still pretty new only a couple of months old). whats the best way to persuade said visitor from coming back???


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## SRP3006 (30 Jul 2019)

A simple decoy heron will do the trick if you really don't want it coming back. However if you have reasonable cover around/In your pond it shouldn't cause any problems.


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## martin-green (31 Jul 2019)

Sorry but a decoy heron will NOT "do the trick" if anything it does the opposite.

A heron flying overhead is always looking for food, if it sees another heron (decoy) it assumes there must be food otherwise why would the other heron be there so instead of scaring it away, down it comes.

There is noting you can do that will dissuade any birds (short of making loud noises and big movementsonan iregular basis) what you can do is make it hard to land and or give the fish some protection. Herons are not stupid. 

You can put a taught net above the pond (On a frame is good, but if you do this, there has to be no where for the heron ot stand and they have been known to "puncture the net" if it is just aboive the water surface.) 

Another option (not always possible) is to run parallel fishing lines at 30 cm intervals from one building to another at the highest point possible (Everyone can walk un hindered underneath but the heron can not land)

The other option is to give your fish some where to hide, such as a big shelf or a couple of sunken pipes (so they act like a tunnel and the fish can hide in them)

I wish you luck.


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## SRP3006 (31 Jul 2019)

martin-green said:


> Sorry but a decoy heron will NOT "do the trick" if anything it does the opposite.



I can only go on the experience I have gained whilst working on a local commercial fishing complex where the other methods are obviously not possible. On that complex decoy herons worked in reducing the number of birds. 
This is only IME


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## mort (31 Jul 2019)

I must admit I've seen plenty of pictures of decoy herons with live herons stood next to them so my personal advice is to make the pond less appealing to a heron (but it works for cats as well) and heavily plant the margins so they have difficulty getting in there, also add some cover at the bottom of the pond for the fish to hide in. I have a clay chimney pipe on the bottom that creates a nice amount of cover but the 5 ft depth is more of a deterrent.


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## zozo (31 Jul 2019)

And don't think Birds are just animals driven by instinct.. They have a darn good memory.. I have a bath tub with goldfish in the garden, have it for over about 7  years and last year i had my first Heron visiting it and snatching my oldest and tamest fish from the tub. After that i saw the Heron fly over regularly, but the tub was covered with a net till the grape plant grew big enough to prevent the Heron to land. Anyway, in the winter the fish go indoors and around appril they go out again.

This year, the fish were out again for only 2 weeks and i saw the Heron again sitting on my neighbours roof eyeballing my tub. I scared it off with oppening the door.

6 years never seen a Heron and than once the small tub was spotted 2 years in a row a Heron visiting. If it wasn't the darn same Heron remebering it than he must have told his friends where to find my tub with fish in it.

I go for the first option, it was the very same Heron remebering my delicious goldfish tub.

There is only one thing you an do, that is prevent the bird from getting to it. pull a net over the pond which always isn't a decorative choice. Or put a net or lines over the biggest part of the garden and over the pond. For example take fishing line and tie the lines 50cm apart from eachother, one end to the other over the garden. High enough to walk under it. Is less obtrusive than a net over teh pond or net over the garden. But it still prevents the Heron to find a place to land. Other parts in the garden you can use these lines to grow vining plants over it. Giving it a decorative purpose as well..


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## Zeus. (31 Jul 2019)

SRP3006 said:


> A simple decoy heron will do the trick



Has worked for me for over 15years, never had heron (or just chance OFC)


 

Also keeps the gardener away


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## martin-green (31 Jul 2019)

Might it not be the fact that from above it is not possible to see any fish?


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## zozo (31 Jul 2019)

That one proofs they are at least not scaring eachother away.



And that one proofs they also enjoy meals together..

But you can aways try this one??
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Value-Here-Crocodile-Alligator/dp/B073YDN6LZ


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## Jake Ranson (1 Aug 2019)

well unfortunately i think the heron may have cleared the pond, the water is pretty murky so not 100% sure but i've now not seen any fish since tuesday. Looks like i'm going to have to come up with some more anti heron counter measures before re-stocking.


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## DaveN (1 Aug 2019)

Ultimately the only answer might be a rather unsightly net.  I followed the well trodden path of decoy, criss-crossing wires, 'scarecrow' (a PIR-activated garden sprinkler) before going to netting.  Even then, I think I've lost my last pond fish to herons over the winter when they exploited holes in the net created for irises to grow through 

I'm unfortunate enough to live close to one of the largest heronries in the south of England so you may fare better...


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## papa_c (1 Aug 2019)

Jake Ranson said:


> whats the best way to persuade said visitor from coming back



Can't resist it.....my suggestion is a .22 calibre and a telescopic scope!

But seriously, a few houses back I lost all my 6" koi in one day, about 15 of them went. Restocked a few and put up high lines which seemed to do the trick till I sold the house a couple of years later.


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## Zeus. (1 Aug 2019)

martin-green said:


> Might it not be the fact that from above it is not possible to see any fish?



can see one in the pic above, more below


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## frederick thompson (2 Aug 2019)

Zeus. said:


> can see one in the pic above, more below
> View attachment 126310


nice pond and some nice fish mate


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