Welcome to Koi Forum. Is this your first visit? Register
Results 1 to 14 of 14
  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Sansai Point's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Location
    Birmingham
    Posts
    110
    Thanks / Likes
    102

    Is there a safe edge height to deter herons

    Hi all, I'm planning on putting rocks around my pond when I finally get it built so was wondering if there is a "safe" height that the rocks could be so that herons can't reach down to the water?



  2. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion dbs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Location
    East Norfolk
    Posts
    2,142
    Thanks / Likes
    3485
    They will stand on the rocks and dive in when a fish passes

    Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Senior Member Rank = Hassai Mike Bass's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Long Eaton
    Posts
    712
    Thanks / Likes
    1372
    Quote Originally Posted by dbs View Post
    They will stand on the rocks and dive in when a fish passes

    Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk
    Yes they will step on any wall , fence, roof that will give them a vantage point …..and wait and wait , they may regurgitate food onto the surface to attract the fish … or they may just stab wildly through any net just causing death or injury
    1kGal BD/Skim RDF/UV/k1 2.3kGal 2windows 2airBD/skim Sieve/Eazypod RDFcombi+bakki 3xVP/UV,ASHP

  4. Thanks dbs Thanked / Liked this Post
  5. #4
    Senior Member Rank = Sansai Point's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Location
    Birmingham
    Posts
    110
    Thanks / Likes
    102
    Yes fellas, hence the question, but there must be a height where they can't reach down to the water. I can make 2 high sides which would just leave 2 to protect with a fence but I can't find their maximum reach anywhere. If they are crouching on a rock I'm guessing that they wouldn't be able to reach down more than about 2ft from where their feet are.

  6. #5
    Moderator Rank = Supreme Champion Feline's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    6,653
    Thanks / Likes
    5635
    They don’t fish in my pond. I have no pergola, perfectly clear water and I know there are herons in my area- there’s a reservoir at the end of my road and I have had a heron in an old ground level pond a few years back.
    My jump guards are 28cam high. It definitely helps if you have verticals sides and no plants though. If they can’t wade it makes it very much harder for them.

    If I were you I would buy a reel of clear fishing line and string it around some supports at the waters edge- much less ugly than a net and was very effective for my previous ponds. My heron visitor got his legs caught and I had to rescue him- he didn’t return as was so traumatised by the experience

  7. Thanks dbs Thanked / Liked this Post
  8. #6
    Senior Member Rank = Sansai Point's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Location
    Birmingham
    Posts
    110
    Thanks / Likes
    102
    Hi Feline, yes, that's the plan.. no shelves in the pond with a vertical rock edge above ground on at least 2 sides. The other two will have a fence/jump guard as you describe.

  9. #7
    Herons are adaptable, cunning and calculating. You need a net - even in the meantime to deter these Birds. Ive just lost 3 recently and it still returns despite having a net stretched over the pond and borders. A £300 fish dinner for it. Grrr Im awaiting my stainless steel 1x1" mesh panels to hopefully arrive today. In the meantime Im making do with a net. Remember - these are cunning birds. Twilight and early Morning Raiders. Just make things difficult for the bird to attack your fish and fingers crossed it will move on. They can reach and strike over 2ft so high mesh barriers are required. It can wade and wait. It can curry confidence with your fish by regurgitating its stomach to entice your fish to come up to feed - and then strike. But in any case - its just another sign how bad the streams and waterways are - otherwise if those waterways were healthy, then these Birds wouldn't venture into built up urban areas. The Devils.....

  10. Thanks dbs Thanked / Liked this Post
  11. #8
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Sansai AntB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    130
    Thanks / Likes
    83
    I have found that the metal heron / crane statues I have around my ponds have deterred them. I originally only had one in the wildlife pond, but a visiting heron decided to leave this alone and remove a £350 showa instead. Since I purchased a second one I have not had any further visits and it looks nicer than the fishing line I put up as a temporary measure after the first visit.

  12. Thanks dbs Thanked / Liked this Post
  13. #9
    Senior Member Rank = Jussai Spongebob's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Manchester
    Posts
    1,281
    Thanks / Likes
    2324
    I have one that visits daily, as yet it doesnt like the jump guards and hasnt attempted to mount the wall and fish, ive no doubt it will, unfortunately for said bird that will be its last action. It may get lucky and not try before the covers go on, who knows......

    Evil evil creatures
    Fibreglassed/5000 gals/4.5 m Tunnel/Spindrifter/Twin drums/Bio chambers/Beads/Showers/Remora ASHP

  14. Thanks dbs, Ajm Thanked / Liked this Post
  15. #10
    Hi

    i live in an area where they are lots of herons.

    so my defence is:-

    pond coping is 200mm wide 500mm min above ground level, there are 3 layers of fishing wire 100mm apart some 50 mm from the water edge. The water level is 200 mm below the coping. The water is at least 1500mm deep. The pond has a timber purgula with open rafters at 450 cars.

    I have not seen and herons on the pond yet and I am hoping that will surface!?

    what are my chances these **** herons are smart birds!

  16. Thanks Graeme Thanked / Liked this Post
  17. #11
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Bedworth
    Posts
    5,959
    Thanks / Likes
    11916
    i don't like jump guards or nets,
    but as i can remove netted panels in a minute or two, i'd rather do that, and have the nets on when i'm not there.

    there are lots of reasons why some open ponds get attacked and other don't.
    how close to a house, if you have pets/dogs especially that are capable of killing them.
    they are cunning wild animals, and have to weigh up risk vs reward.

  18. Thanks Ajm Thanked / Liked this Post
  19. #12
    Senior Member Rank = Jussai Alburglar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Dover Kent
    Posts
    1,471
    Thanks / Likes
    2047
    A duck landed in my garden the other day. The cat shot out and had two claws in it by the time the duck had got 3ft in the air. Fortunately the cat just pulled some feathers out and the duck got away, but I'm quietly confident the heron won't get an easy ride in my garden.
    2660 Gallons. 4" Bottom Drain and Skimmer. Draco Solum 16 Drum. Anoxic Filtration. Air lift returns.

  20. Thanks Ajm, JamesBarkerArt Thanked / Liked this Post
  21. #13
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion bowsaw's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Bristol
    Posts
    1,663
    Thanks / Likes
    1105
    they don’t need to wade in to hunt, if there is enough space they can fly/dive in to fish, in an almighty splash. they are cleaver fish, amphibian/small mammal hunters that have not changed much in a very long time.

    the slow pond build thread

  22. #14
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion NickK-UK's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    1,539
    Thanks / Likes
    1746
    Unfortunately lost one fish yesterday. I found it dead on the path with a clean puncture wound just behind the gills where the heart would be. I suspect a heron tried to fish it and failed. It explains why they were really jittery and zipped around the pond.

    Net put up last evening is causing issues to the local birds attempting to land for a drink. They bounce off - however they found the area near a bush which would be difficult for a heron to get near without being local cat food.

    I've seen the female, sushi, and the chargoi male but I've not see the other smaller male as the pond is green at the moment (helps destress them and reduce light penetrating into the pond).

    It's a shame - I had a look at the gills, all perfect colour and no signs of parasites like costa etc.
    14000l, my mutts: Chargoi (2010), Doitsu (2022), Tancho (2022), Kujaku (2022), Hi Utusri (2022)

 

 

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:23 AM. Online Koi Mag Forum
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3
Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

vBulletin Improved By vBFoster® (Lite Version), © UltimateScheme, Ltd.