Birds 104 Chapter 2
Minor Nuisances, the Smaller Herons and Egrets, Rails and Bitterns
There’s no doubt that the Great Herons, along with their cousins the Great Egrets, are the main scourge of the Backyard Pond, but it would be a very big mistake to assume that they are the only wading birds that may visit and cause you grief. The Great Blue, and its Florida color phase the Great White Heron (same species, different color), are just the largest members of the vast Heron Family. We haven’t talked about the smaller Herons and Egrets, nor about Bitterns or Rails, all of which can potentially prey on the fish, frogs and insects in and around your pond. These smaller birds can’t take the larger fish in your pond, but they can wipe out all the smaller ones just as quickly as the big boys do.
By JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com) (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Luckily, there’s one big difference between the largest waders and their smaller relatives – the smaller birds aren’t near as bold and brazen as their giant cousins, mainly because they have to worry about the many predators – raccoons, cats and dogs, hawks, even snapping turtles, that the big guys ignore (or even prey upon!) Simply clearing the area, eliminating the plant cover that they feel most comfortable in and around, will usually keep them from hanging out for long. Their physical size also limits the damage they can do, as most of the smaller species can only impact juvenile Koi, goldfish, frogs, invertebrates and insects.
Of course, the pondbuilding strategy of steep sides and a deep initial shelf will keep both large and small waders at bay, but what if you happen not to be able to rebuild your pond to eliminate these predators? Well, there are a few steps you can take to discourage all the wading birds:
- String a trip wire of unobtrusive monofilament fishing line where the birds walk into the pond. When they touch the line the birds usually startle and fly off.
- Install a battery-powered motion sensitive sprinkler to spray the birds when they approach the pond
- A heron decoy is often effective in deterring these very territorial birds, but it must be moved frequently or they’ll quickly figure out the trick.
- If all else fails, a good quality net with a frame to keep the net suspended over the water and pond plants will keep your prize fish safe from predators.
There’s no doubt that the Great Herons, along with their cousins the Great Egrets, are the main scourge of the Backyard Pond, but it would be a very big mistake to assume that they are the only wading birds that may visit and cause you grief. The Great Blue, and its Florida color phase the Great White Heron (same species, different color), are just the largest members of the vast Heron Family. We haven’t talked about the smaller Herons and Egrets, nor about Bitterns or Rails, all of which can potentially prey on the fish, frogs and insects in and around your pond. These smaller birds can’t take the larger fish in your pond, but they can wipe out all the smaller ones just as quickly as the big boys do.
By JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com) (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Luckily, there’s one big difference between the largest waders and their smaller relatives – the smaller birds aren’t near as bold and brazen as their giant cousins, mainly because they have to worry about the many predators – raccoons, cats and dogs, hawks, even snapping turtles, that the big guys ignore (or even prey upon!) Simply clearing the area, eliminating the plant cover that they feel most comfortable in and around, will usually keep them from hanging out for long. Their physical size also limits the damage they can do, as most of the smaller species can only impact juvenile Koi, goldfish, frogs, invertebrates and insects.
Of course, the pondbuilding strategy of steep sides and a deep initial shelf will keep both large and small waders at bay, but what if you happen not to be able to rebuild your pond to eliminate these predators? Well, there are a few steps you can take to discourage all the wading birds:
- String a trip wire of unobtrusive monofilament fishing line where the birds walk into the pond. When they touch the line the birds usually startle and fly off.
- Install a battery-powered motion sensitive sprinkler to spray the birds when they approach the pond
- A heron decoy is often effective in deterring these very territorial birds, but it must be moved frequently or they’ll quickly figure out the trick.
- If all else fails, a good quality net with a frame to keep the net suspended over the water and pond plants will keep your prize fish safe from predators.
