Herons and garden ponds

• A heron's requirement for ideal fishing
• Heron deterrents

Grey heron deterrents

Instead of keeping goldfish, why not convert a pond into a wildlife pond with native plants and animals in areas where herons are causing persistent problems.

• Netting the pond, or providing the fish with cover to hide underneath are perhaps best options.
• Steep-sided deep ponds are less prone to herons than shallow ones that allow easy fishing, although this makes the pond unsuitable as a bathing and drinking site for all birds.
• A fence-like barrier with taut wires or strings 20 and 35 cm above the water surface erected at the edge of the water can prevent a heron from reaching the fish.
• Scarers based on a trip-wire system that the heron activates are commercially available.
• Audio scaring may be possible. Alarm call of a heron is unlikely to be work on its own, and so a special tape is available that combines the alarm call with the sound of gunshot.
• Human presence is as good deterrent as any. If birds associate people with danger, a human-shaped scarer may work well. It is worth reinforcing the behaviour from time to time with a real person in similar clothing walking about.
• A plastic heron will more likely attract other herons rather than deter them.        

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