HERONS

EYING UP THE CARP

Ian
How do I protect my ponds from marauding herons? I have a few of them around the garden and I think they have their beady eyes on my ornamental carp. The solution has to be aesthetic and practical! How do they taste? V. H. By e-mail

Reply
The Grey Heron is the most common of all European herons. Inishowen has a fair few of the birds as the waters are clean and the fish are plentiful. They have become increasingly common in suburban and rural gardens. This is partly as a result of diminishing natural marsh and wetland habitat in some areas, but also because of the increasing number of water bodies such as reservoirs, gravel pits and drainage ponds. Not to mention domestic ponds - all of which potentially contain the heron’s prey (sometimes expensive fish!) Preventing herons from visiting a domestic pond is difficult. Typically they will land alongside the pond on open ground and walk into the shallows of the pond where apparently they clench their feet to simulate worms which attracts the unfortunate fish.

Control methods I have encountered include: Planting trees and shrubs around the pond to eliminate the open ground that the bird usually requires to land. Planting bulky plants right up to the edge of the pond, making the walk from landing site to water difficult. Fishing line stretched around the pond on small posts to provide a hurdle on the walk to the water, (this could be dangerous to the bird though). High frequency bird scarers audible only to birds. Avoiding creating shallows in ponds so that the birds have nowhere to stand. Infrared sensors which when activated set off sprinklers. None of these methods are guaranteed to be effective and they all have obvious drawbacks, but you may wish to try one or two. If you implement them all you are sure to get a tree-hopping, long-legged, hurdling, deaf bird that likes taking the occasional shower visiting your garden!

PS I have no idea what they taste like!

Environmental,gardening.