Help! Control Great Blue Heron

[Ed Cordes]

If this is in the wrong forum, moderators please move it appropriately.

We have a small 10' X 15' water garden with waterfall and water plants along with about 12 gold fish. Recently we have had a GBH visiting and trying to fish! :(

I like GBHs a lot. I do not want to hurt it, but I do want to keep it away.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to accomplish this?

Thanks.

[Alfred Forns]

That is a tough one Ed !!!! Imagine you can run him off and he will get the idea

Does he have food available close by or he just likes gold fish !!!!

[Ed Cordes]

That is a tough one Ed !!!! Imagine you can run him off and he will get the idea

Does he have food available close by or he just likes gold fish !!!!

Thanks for the response Alfred. Yes there are several of us in the neighborhood who have ponds. One neighbor has a large one he stocks for fishing for his grandkids! We are about 1/2 mile from a river with the usual fish in it.

The GBH flys away the moment he/she sees movement in our house, however the GBH is usually up earlier than us and, in addition, both Gail and I work all day during the week.

Do those fake GBH garden ornaments keep them away as they don't like to fish in pairs, or do they actually attract more??? :confused:

[William Malacarne]

You can put a net over the pond or there is also an item that hooks to a hose with a sprinkler that will be activated with a motion detector that will come on and scare them away.

Bill

[Ron Ridout]

Monafilament fishing line struck tightly about 1 foot off the surface across the water interferes with their ability to strike for food and soon discourages them and is almost invisible so does not interfere with the aesthetics of the pond. Since they usually fish from the edge of a small garden pond, I try to string it just in from the edge of the pond over the water. Wooden stakes work fine as the support. It won't hurt the bird. They usually don't try more then once or twice before giving up.

Ron Ridout
Bird Studies Canada

[Tell Dickinson]

Hi, Herons in the UK like to walk to the waters edge or into the water and if anything that gets in their way they retreat rather than step over it, so I would start with using Ron's tip and if that doesnt stop it then a net.

HTH

Tell

[Michael Pancier]

if it were a Florida GBH, I would say put some decoy gators in the pond. But dunno if the UK herons would know what a gator is ...

[Ed Cordes]

Gail and I just strung the monofilament line. We'll let you all know if it works. Thanks for all the input. BT W, there are no gators here in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate NY. We do have some Bobcat and Black Bear, bu I don't think I can get full size models of these in time. Might be interesting for next season if for no other reason than to make the neighbors talk. ;)

[Alfred Forns]

Let us know how it goes with the bird !!!!

[Ed Cordes]

OK tomorrow I may be proven to be mistaken. However, since following the advice to place fishing line around the perimeter of the pond the heron hasn't been seen. It is possible it comes very early, but I don't think so. The fish are still terrorized as they no longer come up to be fed. It could also be that one of the neighbors did something to the heron, but I haven't heard about this.

So, for now I am operating under the assumption that the fishing line trick did the job. If it changes I'll let you all know.

Thanks for all your responses and suggestions. :)