I did order the alligator. Probably won't do any good. It's actually a 3-piece alligator that move "lifelike" in the pond. Kind of creepy actually. Will probably scare the grandkids more than the birds. My pond is not really big. There is a very small upper pond with no fish that flows into a short stream and the lower pond is not much larger, and similar shape, to a grand piano. It's right off my deck and patio. We've had it for 15+ years and never had a problem until we took down those trees. I am hoping that due to the small size of the pond the bird would not want to dive in with that floating object in there, even though it may not know what it is. A floating island probably would have served the purpose and would have been chepaer and not so scary. It's too early here to get plants due to cold weather. I will leave the net on for a few weeks and see if more plants and the alligator do the trick.

In my case, it was a heron attack. Several, in fact. We set up 2 Scarecrow motion detector sprinklers and - so far - that has worked. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It's been 3 weeks and no more missing fish. We lost a total of 6 fish in 8 weeks. We could always tell when something had been around because the fish were pretty spooked for a few days after. Living in the suburbs doesn't make a difference. We have a fenced and heavily treed yard, and that didn't stop the heron. I don't know what's going on with your fish, perhaps another predator, perhaps something else. The only way to tell is to get up very early every morning and see if you can catch a visitor - or set up a nanny cam aimed at the pond. Our heron typically visited between 5AM and 7AM. If we didn't actually catch him a couple times, we still wouldn't know what was eating our fish. Sometimes I think feeding them is a mistake. Luring them to the top is a death sentence if you do have a predator lurking. You're making them easy prey. I have mixed feelings about that now after having lost so many fish - a few of my favorites amongst them. We've switched to food that sinks to the bottom. We can still enjoy them when we want to feed them. Also, make sure you have some kind of "cave" or a place they can hide if they feel threatened. You can make your own very easily - do a search. The fish may just feel too exposed. Plants that cover the surface help a lot, too.

I know how frustrating it is to deal with the critters and fruit trees, but if you hang in there it does get better. The trees find their way around the gopher runs, and the gophers eventually leave them alone. I had two really rare heirloom apple trees that were about 2 years old, and one day one was shaking violently from a gopher, I snatched it out and put it in a big pot until it got its roots back. Then I started planting perennials in a double layer of chicken wire (which eventually rots, but they get about 18 months that gives the roots a good advantage) and surround the roots when planting with gladiolus bulbs down at gopher level, about 6 inches, at least 5 bulbs. Daffodil bulbs work, too, but they finish early and the gophers will push them back up. So a combo of gladiolus and daffodils works with a spring/summer active bulb growth. And they are a really colorful addition as well. they multiply, making a barrier about the roots at gopher level. And I make sure I kill the gophers and moles as well, but they still come back. Daffodil bulbs are at the stores in the fall, now. Then covering the fruit is well worth it. Grape growers put stretchy netting over the grapes for the same reason. But sheet curtains and bedsheets are easier to get on and off.

Great shots! I have yet to see an owl. Very early the other morning I was outside at twilight and out of the corner of my eye I saw something with huge wings fly into the oak tree in my yard. At first I thought it must have been a hawk, but then thought it was really too early so maybe it was an owl. I tried for a long time to find it, but couldn't. When I told my sister about it she said that they tend to blend right into the tree and maybe he was still there..