Herons. Love them or hate them, they are a skillful preadator for the garden pond and fisheries. I’ve picked the Heron today as we had a visit from one that decided that the garden pond was an all you can eat buffet and had a couple of fish.
Having spent the day shoring up fencing, netting etc. to ensure that the fish are safe there are some things you have to take into account with this bird.
Its a very smart bird and knows what it wants. Your fish. It will try anything to get its meal. To that end did you know:
- Herons live for aournd 14-15 years.
- They spot water gliting in the sun during their flight paths.
- They have an excellent inbuilt Pond GPS and dont need to drop a pin on a Google Map to remember where your pond is.
- They normally fish at the very start and end of day so we may miss them in the garden.
- There are 3 days of each month where the Heron can basically fish all night long. This is on the Full Moon and the day before and after this event.
- Herons can stand as still as a statue until the fish get used to it and come out of their hiding places. The Heron has a trick of regurgitating food to bait fish to come to the surface to feed.
- Herons don’t just eat fish. They will also eat amphibians, small mammals and small birds like ducklings.
Magnificant to watch in action, but would rather it wasn’t from my garden pond.
There are a number of mobile apps that you can install on both Android and iOS phones. These cover a majority of topic areas from plants and trees to insects and animals.
Writing a Journal about nature and wildlife an what you have seen is a great way of proving a look back at your experiences and adventures.
Streams provide a natural habitat for an abundance of wildlife and nature. From the common everyday species of plants and animals that we know to those that are less well known.
The most common birds that you will see often are those that visit your garden, park or area.
Sparrowhawk Bushcraft 