I am sorry about your goldfish and it happened to me too, now no fish that I know of in either the goldfish pond or the koi pond, between the heron and the snakes.

Sue

I had a foot long koi gutted from my pond. Since that day seven years ago ,a net is always on the pond and no more killed fish.

I'm sorry, Moonie.....that's sad. How long do they normally live?

Been there, done that........ I thought one of those decoy herons (which are supposed to work like a scarecrow) would do.....but it didn't. We now have a black net, and to be truthful, it's practically invisible, so it doesn't visually detract like I thought it would

lily - I think you may have posted about that before, or at least your gutted koi sounds familiar.

Alisande - depending on who you ask, goldfish live 10 - 15 years.

One reason why I have yet to use the netting is because of my turtles (actually, that's why I SHOULD use the netting). I hand-feed them and always felt like the netting would be in the way. How self-serving is that!? And maybe I would not have lost my big slider had I been using the netting.

I've never had babies because I assumed the turtles ate the fry. This year I was going to use a mop and watch for them to spawn, then remove the mop.

I hate learning things the hard way.

Uhh no! in 2006-07 I did high end residential landscape design & install for a landscape co w a huge garden center. At the gate for the garden center was 2 huge stacked stone waterfalls on either side w big ponds around them. The garden center used to sell koi to collectors and enthusiasts but stopped when the Blue Herons eventually robbed most of the fish out, they even went into the holding tanks! we had the netting, fencing, water cannons to scare them etc...these birds were incredibly intelligent! they would stand outside the gates waiting for the last of the crews and workers to leave then swoop in and eat. ~ liz

I might have posted this before about my huge koi. Whatever got it, a hawk or heron or egret, it was too heavy for the bird to carry it away. I must have interrupted him eating it. He was my prize one too...Big and silver white, about eight pounds.

I hate learning things the hard way.

Ain't it the truth! :-(

I am so sorry moonie!

I used to have a fountian in my front yard, by the door. Just a little thing, a gargoyle spitting into a pool. One day I came home to find a little goldfish swimming in it, and thought somebody was playing a joke on me!

Not long after, I found ANOTHER goldfish, this time a silver one, swimming in there. Odd joke to play on somebody.

Then one day I was sitting on the loveseat with the window open, and was actually SPLASHED through the window. Look out to see a Robin, goldfish in his beak, swishing it around in the water and bashing it on the edge of the pool. Come to think of it, both times I "found" a fish, a robin had flown through the porch when I approached.

I must have scared it into dropping it's meal those times ROFL!

Turns out, it was stealing goldfish from my neighbours pond and taking them over to my fountain to eat!

I am sorry to hear about your fish! I can appreciate the disappointment.

Dances.

Oh dear, well, I guess that's nature at work. If we create fast food joints for the wildlife, they will come and eat. My BIL is forever fighting the neighbor's cat, the raccoons and herons at his pond. I'm sorry you are losing your goldfish. I guess a net is a good idea.

If you watch any of the birds nest cams, they are forever bringing all kinds of small animals home to feed the youngsters.

Have you seen this video? It is funny/sad - depending how you feel about mice.

Here is a link that might be useful: mouse release

Lots of time the big koi are too heavy and will flop free, sometimes landing on the outside of the pond and sometimes back in the water, where they will often die from a bacterial infection. A lot of my old koi had scarred backs. I caught a great blue heron once that was weak and couldn't fly off. I took him to a wildlife rehabber. She opened his mouth and showed me the flukes in his throat. Their beaks are incredibly sharp! I also heard about one who, when someone picked him up, stabbed them in the eye...so they can be dangerous to handle.

It helps on koi ponds if they are deep and the sides are straight up and down...but like many have said, unless they are netted, you have no guarantees.

I'm sorry, Moonie! Very funny, Dances! lol