Carol, a pond friend of ours, wrote into us recently and had a great question about heron decoys.
Last fall, a Great Blue Heron came into her fish pond and may have taken out any number of fish. It was hard to tell just how many, but some were likely eaten, and while eventually they did get the bird to move on, she was worried about the return of another one.
It’s a valid concern for fish pond owners, particularly in the spring and fall when herons are migrating around. They’re always on the lookout for an easy and tasty meal, and fish ponds tend to provide that in droves. These easy pickings tend to keep a bird around, and it’s not unheard for them to clean a pond out in a few days of feasting.
But this doesn’t have to happen to you…or Carol.