The local herons have been spending a lot of time by the pond, eyeing up the fish. I don’t think they manage to take many as our pond has steep sides and herons won’t step into deep water they will only wade in from the shallows. I like seeing a heron by the pond and don’t begrudge them a few fish, we have more than enough and I think the golden orfe are now too big for the herons to tackle.
How ever Inspector Gadget explains that doing what comes naturally (to a heron) is reportable offence
‘Theft of Goldfish from Pond – main suspect – local Heron’
I disturbed a heron yesterday, it flew off and perched in the sycamore tree, they do look rather ridiculous sat in a tree, there is something about herons that doesn’t seem to add up, as though there was a miscalculation at the design stage, herons legs look like they might snap and their beaks look too heavy, (I’ve yet to manage to get a photograph of one, so I’ll cheat)
the ability of herons to catch fish led to a belief that their legs must produce some magical substance that attracted the fish, this resulted in anglers scattering pieces of herons legs around the fishing ground, in an attempt to attract fish, now don’t try this at home because
and such a fishy incident will result in even more paper work for Gadget.
I adore our pond, you can see why,
We built it six years ago, we borrowed a mini digger and a dumper truck and Mr Uhdd set to work, it ended up a different shape and a bit bigger than the original plan (not unlike the heron) and the liner cost as much as the new sofa we planed to buy at the time, six years on we still haven’t bought a sofa, but I have no regrets, the pond investment was the right one and the old sofa will be fashionable again soon. The pond is spring fed and whilst it doesn’t run all year round it is a big enough body of water not to need topping up. We were amazed by how quickly wildlife just turned up and took over it, (treat of treat has been a visiting kingfisher) This summer I will be on a mission to get more photographs of some of the visitors, this is the best I managed last year
I think I shall make a mug of tea and go up to the pond, bliss.
I would love a wildlife pond, but I just can’t help feeling like hens + wildlife pond = disaster waiting to happen. Would I be right or wrong?
A lovely post. I like herons. (I too read Inspector Gadget’s post about their criminality and would happily have them as inmates in the jails I work in).
Your pond is beautiful and I’m jealous because in all my forty-two years I’ve never seen a kingfisher in the flesh.
Glorious looking pond. A very wise investment. Who needs sofas?
Lucy, disaster for the wildlife or the pond? the chickens use it as their preferred source of drinking water and there have been no incidents to date (if chickens could swim would they do the the breast stroke?)Dandy the cat has fallen in a couple of times, he just stretched out and rolled off the edge.
Anne, I think society would benefit from tagging herons rather than handing down a custodial sentence!
Juliet, the fact that our 20yr old sofa is not ‘totally’ worn out is that we don’t sit down very much!
Happy Sunday
I’m just a teeny bit envious of your pond. However I’m grateful that I’ve got the washing up bowl one on the plot. Apart from a couple of tadpoles I’ve yet to see any other wildlife near, let alone in, it.
My only sightings of kingfishers have been fleeting flashes of colour.
You’re pond looks absolutely wonderful. No wonder you never sit on the sofa, when you are surrounded by all that beauty.
Wow! What a gorgeous pond! I am amazed that it manages to support both fish and frogs. All our tadpoles get eaten by the fish and now there are very few frogs left.
We have a heron that flies over here now and again. Just recently I have noticed it being mobbed by a pair of crows on a regular basis. These crows have also take our dove chicks, and mobbed a black bird with one leg in the garden. They are the local mafia. People go on about magpies, but crows seem to be far worse. Any experience of the damn things on your patch?
You really should try and have a go at the Countryfile photo comp!
Joss, crows take eggs from the house if we are not quick off the mark.
Nezza, I’ve so many commitments and deadlines at the moment, but my master plan is to work on photography in the summer.
Flighty, I bet there are all sorts of little things living in your pond, quality not quantity!!
You have a lovely pond.
I love watching the herons at our pond. They’re beautiful birds, but you’re right about how awkward they look in trees.
I know but you have both! xx
What an inviting photo showing such a tranquil looking spot ~ congratulations on you both for creating such a lovely oasis. It must be fascinating watching the inhabitants, especially when you love photography. We have the great blue heron here, and it is also infamous for finding fish in ponds. I have taken photos of herons, but mostly near the ocean, although I have taken a photo of one in a pond at a park that I quite like… thanks for sharing your pond.
So sorry to read about you missing Thing Two…it sounds like she had a lovely home and was very much loved and well cared for.
I think I have pond envy. I think you chose wisely.
You’ve got til the end of August for the Countryfile comp, so plenty of time *winks*