WOW! Great video. I didn't realize herons were so big.

They're huge.. even bigger than it appears in the video. Looked to be around 3-1/2 feet tall! Seeing him get scared away by the sprayer made my day, I could barely contain myself as I watched from the window :)

LOL, when the water went off, it even scared me. Great video.

Excellent video! That brightened my day. I have one on my pond right now, and I hope it works as well as yours did.

Thanks! Interesting side note, there is a floating aligator (the kind with the glowing eyes) floating around in the pond too. The Heron couldn't care less about it..

Too bad it wasn't a machine gun shooting at him. He's probably on his way to my house right now. As much as I loved the video, I found myself more interested in it's habits and motions as it approached the pond. If he approached the pond where the video first started, do you think he would have avoided detection?

I have 3 scarecrows, 2 of which perform excellent in deterring deer. The extra one I guess I will put by the pond after seeing this inspiring video.

-Mike

It would have gone off anyway if he got just a bit closer to the side of the pond. I should back it up another 8 feet or so though just to increase the area of protection by another couple feet at the left and right side. I'd hate for him to snag a fish a moment before the detector goes off. My koi are very playfull and like to flop around at the very edge of the pond in the grasses.

Yes the behaviour of the heron was interesting. I edited the video down to 25 seconds or so but he took about 5 minutes to get that close to the pond. He started out on a neighbours roof, then flew down 15 feet from the pond and stood there for a long time. Then he crept ever so slowly towards the water. I was wondering if he was moving too slowly for the detector to pick up, but I guess not!

I used to lose a lot of sleep worrying about my Koi, I've probably got $3000 worth of them in that pond now. But I don't worry anymore. Adding a couple of submerged tubes for them to hide in helped too. After a heron attack they hide in there for a full day afterwards :)

Great video! Well done scaring that big bugger off.
I guess just the sudden noise alone would startle him/her and it would take off in a hurry.
I had one that perched up on my neighbours roof also. He /she would arrive about five in the morning and I would be out there waiting for it to drop down off the roof. A clap of my hands and away it would go. They are big for sure when they are close up.

One up for the scarecrow.
"Horton"

Love the video. How you managed to get that senerio(sp) so good, I couldn't.

Also love your pond. That is so beautiful.

Picaroon 1 Heron 0

I love it. I see them all the time in the park. They stand so still I think they are statues. Great video. Hope I never see one in person. Thanks for sharing.

Jenny

This is a great video and a great looking pond!

I use netting. After my neighbors thinned out their trees, an escape route was created for herons, and they liked the goldfish in my little pond. I saw one fly away one day. So I put black fruit tree netting over the pond, never had any trouble again.

Bernd

WHOOHOO!!! Gorgeous Pond!!! Great Video!!!

Loved the video and your gorgeous pond. I've read once a heron finds lunch, he/she remembers and keeps coming back. Do you know if he/she remembers NOT to come back because of the scarecrow? Hope so!

I have a scarecrow for cat invaders....ought oh, I'm starting trouble here with cat lovers that claim cats don't hurt pond fish...YEAH, RIGHT! My neighbors cats would actually sit patiently on the side of my pond and swipe at my fish...saw it with my own eyes! Well the scarecrow kinda helped but it kept spraying the lawn guys...too funny because they just knew I was in the house turning on the hose when they would pass by with lawn mower. Now I have an automatic clicker that the cats absolutely HATE. The clicking drives'em nuts. Haven't had a cat in my yard going on three years. When they get close, they run past my yard because of the irritating sound...too, bad, that low-clicking noise only works on cats.

alyceskis , could you please post details about the "Automated Clicker" you mentioned in your post.
Where it can be purchased, etc?
Thank you,
"Horton"

Wish I had one of these a looooong time ago. I woke up one morning to my husband calling me, "Nance, you gotta see this!" Ouf fish had been slowly disappearing and that dreaded pond buzzard took our last koi on that day.

Thanks so much for posting this excellent "in action" video. It looks like a "must have" for anyone ambushed by a Heron.

Hi ya Horton!

Nance

alyceskis, I'm a cat lover and have three of them, but my scarecrow also helps keep the cats away from the pond after I saw the tomcat take a swipe at the koi. He didn't hook one, but I knew I needed to keep him away from the pond.

The clicker sounds interesting. I'm going echo Horton's questions -- details, please?

Hidi-ho Nance, good to see you back in print. LOL
"Horton"

Hey, I love that water blaster, it's short and sweet and it works a treat.
G'day Nance,it's been many years since I've been on the forum but your email today has motivated me. This motion detector might be just the thing for your new pond this summer then you can stock it with Koi.

Ron.

The great thing about the Scarecrow is that it requires a heat signature as well as movement which is why slow moving predators get zapped as well as the faster ones and wind blown grasses and waterfalls won't set it off. I did discover that the highest splash from it is light enough that small birds love to set it off. A group of them will sit in the tall Marissi Viburnum until one flies low enough to trigger the spray then they all have fun in the shower. It attracts the squirrels and chippers, too but they aren't smart enough to set it off, so they come running when they see the birds flock. They did figure out the outside reach of the spray after getting knocked head over heels a few times.
I have caught myself a few times and once or twice a group of teens trying to find a shortcut to the high school, and also, a couple of landscapers were caught by the spray.
Not only does it keep away the predators, it is great entertainment. The only resistant critters are the large dogs that sometimes get out of their yards. I think they play with the garden hose at home. Sandy

Thanks Horton, glad I gave up plaid a long time ago too! LOL! Looks like you're still giving out your expert advice. It's nice to see that some good things never change.

Picaroon, I just love watching your video. Seeing that big bird get it's just dessert is priceless!

Got that right Ron. But the only way we're gonna get a new pond this summer is if you keep your promise and come back to the USofA and help us! Okay, it was worth a try...:-)))

Nance

Per Horton's & Nancy's request, I also posted this in a new message but thought I would share here on the Cat Clicker mentioned above.

The device is called Ultrasonic Pest Deterrent from Radio Systems Corp. 800-732-2677... I don't remember the price (it wasn't pricey) but it is worth every dime for making my neighbor's cats stay out of my pond area. Just found it.....You can see and purchase this deterrent at MyWholesaler.com, or shop around. Hope it works for you... I LUV it!

The scarecrow has allowed me to have the first full night's sleep in a long time. We have a cat (a hateful, worrisome cat) that loves to get us up in the night several times to let him in and out the bedroom window. We are well-trained. You cannot ignore a yowling cat that is banging on the window.

I set up a scarecrow right outside the window in a flower pot on top of the steps. It is about 4' away and aimed at the window sill. I heard it go off the first night at about 12:50. Scared me half to death, so I know it scared the cat. We haven't had a problem sleeping since. He now waits politely on the front porch for us to come and get the paper in the morning and let him in. : )

I'm glad it worked for you. Mine did not. My pond is larger and unless you can get these closer with a strong blast of water (as you have), the bird is not deterred. I had TWO set up to protect the perimeter of the pond. I was alerted when eating breakfast one morning. One of the detectors went off as the bird strode casually past it and into the pond. Didn't phase him at all. I also injured a small bird with one of those things and my dog kept tripping it which scared the heck out of him. So I gave up and went back to a net. I love the video.