Big Bird (and it isn't yellow)

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Big Bird (and it isn't yellow)

Postby alison on Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:52 pm

Today I decided that I needed to really cut back on the watercress in the pond. It had taken over completely and there was hardly any clear water showing between all the plants. Also duckweed has invaded all other spaces so it was about 95% covered. The bogbean has only had one flower on it so that is also something that needs a massive cutback. Anyway it started to rain so I decided to do my housework before attempting the pond.
As I finished the housework I looked out of the kitchen window to see if it had stopped raining when I saw a grey bird on the pond wall. I wondered what it was for a second and as I reached the back door I could see it clearly. It was bent over but when it straightened up I realised that it was a Heron..... :shock: I opened the back door to shoo it away and it turned round and set off away over the rooftops. Thank goodness I came at that moment as I can imagine that my fish would have all been eaten if I hadn't.
It was the first time that one has come into my garden. I am hoping that the noise from the door and the fact that it didn't get anything to eat will be all it needs not to come back, but I will have to keep a lookout now.
It was a lovely sight though and I would have been very happy to see one if I had been at Fairburn Ings or some other nature reserve, but just not in my back garden. I just hope it reached somewhere where it would have been able to eat without any problem. :D
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Re: Big Bird (and it isn't yellow)

Postby retropwr on Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:16 pm

They are a nice looking bird, but like you say, not around the pond.

I've lost a few fish to a Heron over the years and would regularly see it on the neighbours roof looking down or walking around the pond looking for a way past the net, then one day I saw it throw itself at the net to weigh it down and make off with a fish, I think it would have carried on if it hadn't seen me. There is now a string fence along that side to stop it walking up to the pond edge

I don't know if it is just a coincidence but we now have 4 Red Kites regularly patrolling the skies around here and I haven't seen the Heron for a few months.
Richard
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Re: Big Bird (and it isn't yellow)

Postby alison on Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:52 pm

I think that the fish may have been frightened by the heron as they haven't been up to feed as quickly as normal today. Yesterday I didn't feed them at all so today I thought they might be straight up' but no. I couldn't see any fish where normally there are a couple of areas where they are visable. When I put the food in it just stayed on the surface for ages. I was beginning to think that the Heron had been back and eaten them. I did see the ghost Koi after a while and just one other fish. We will see what the next few days bring.
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Re: Big Bird (and it isn't yellow)

Postby alison on Fri Sep 24, 2010 4:45 pm

Well no sign of the Heron so I think we were sucessful in frightening him off. Maybe he was just off course and managed to get back on track to make it to Fairburn Ings. :D
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