Thursday, 23 May 2013

Defensive Measures

When Denis (who has just taken over looking after the garden, and doing a fine job [photos when this cold weather stops and growth begins]) suggested that the best way to keep the heron out is to put a net over the pond. Good idea, thinks I, but it's a big area to cover.
Then I remember two things: that I do not need to cover the whole pond but just enough to keep the big bird away; and then I remember the net I used to cover the strawberry patch with, which was folded up round the back. (The strawberries have gone to pot - the squirrells and the blackbirds get them before I do!) Having retrieved the net and unfolded it on the ground, I realised just how big it is.
Yesterday afternoon, John and I stretched the net over the pond, as you can see.



Its position is temporary. John and I are planning to extend the mesh fence all around  the pond, and I think that we will then be able to cover most of the pond.
I would love to see Mr Heron try to land on the net - he would become a champion trampoliner!
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3 comments:

  1. P Stanfield23 May 2013 at 15:36

    Faced with a similar heron problem, I put a few stakes around the pond close to the edge and wound lengths of black cotton between them. The idea is that the heron usually lands on the side first, and is upset by the cotton touching it's legs, so it flies off. It seemed to work, and is less visually intrusive. However, since your heron seems to like swimming the netting may be necessary!

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    1. The Welkin23 May 2013 at 19:48

      Yes, I understand what you are saying, but I could not put stakes in one side of the pond surrounds, you can just see in the photo that the edge abuts the tarmac, and the tiny tots of children used to teeter on the stones at the very side of the pond. So something more permanent was needed. However, now that I know that the heron can jump into the pond (whether he was swimming or just walking around on the bottom), I also now need an extra layer of defense!

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  2. Zephyrinus24 May 2013 at 02:18

    Dear Fr,

    Reference your Strawberries, I remember as a child that my mother (God Bless her) used to put upside-down, empty, jam jars on top of the strawberries.

    This prevented the birds getting at them (and replicated a hot greenhouse) and we always had a goodly crop of strawberries.

    May I suggest that you ask your Parishioners to donate all their old, empty, jam jars, in the Collection Plate on Sundays, for your Strawberry Patch ?

    We didn't have squirrels, though !!!

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