So, I was wondering…

If I put the pink flamingos out by the pond, do you think they’ll scare away the Great Blue Herons?

I wouldn’t want to do that.

M and I attended a pond clinic sometime during our first year or so on this lovely piece of land.  We realized early on that we knew nothing about the care and upkeep of a pond (especially a 1.5 acre pond!).  I remember it was on a cold and windy day, but I can’t remember what time of year it was.  I’m thinking it was supposed to be spring, but spring hadn’t arrived yet.

Some of the other people attending had small ponds and one guy asked about keeping herons away from his pond.  He was stocking his pond with expensive koi and the herons were eating them.  Herons can’t resist a big, shiny fish.

If I remember correctly, decoys of any kind don’t work in the long run.  The heron will fly over several times over the course of a few days, getting closer and closer to the decoy, until they figure out it isn’t real.  Hopefully the pink flamingos, which are hot pink and about as unnatural looking as a decoy can be, won’t fool the herons into thinking this is an inhospitable place for them to be.

Unless, of course, they have some sense of taste or class.

(Great blue heron at the pond. 2007.  Photo © Robin)

Thanks! to the great blue herons that come to visit and help to keep down the fish and frog population.  We don’t fish enough (or eat frogs legs) to keep the population down to healthy level without their help.  Even if they weren’t helping out, I’d still enjoy their visits as they’re beautiful birds and I delight in watching them as the wade around the edges of the pond, stalking the fish and frogs.