Black panther in my garden !

[Merc220cls]

Well not quite a black panther but it certainly got both our attention.

I like my garden and have a few nesting boxes and two bird tables. This morning the missus had two slice of bread going in the bin so I put them out on one of the tables.
As happens many time although in this instance a solitary sea gull came down and proceeded to eat the lot. I was almost at the point of chasing it away when Wow ! a black cat sprang up from my wild flower garden which surround the table and caught the gull by the tail feathers. The gull flew away and something white fell from it ( only kidding) The cat then jumped back down to ground.
It took both me and the missus by complete surprise as we had been looking out the window and discussing about the greedy gulls.

 

[whitenemesis]

My British Shorthair cat tried bringing down a heron that was eyeing up our fish... Damned big birds those herons, cat must have been approx 6 feet off the ground before letting go!

 

[Merc220cls]

Pity it had to let go, one heron less.
I had a couple of heron visits to my ponds then I fitted a custom made net but that wasn’t good enough for my last visitor which cleaned out my entire fish stock including a 20 year old koi.

It was a mink (I reckon ) which had managed inside one corner unsecured. After noticing the fish missing I netted the pond and pulled out a large chunk of uneaten fish flesh. Mink had been spotted at a nearby fishing pond just outside the village.

That was almost two years ago and I just haven’t the heart to replace the fish.

 

[markjay]

Not directly related, but my nephew's fish like to stick their head out of the water for a quick petting.....

 

[Merc220cls]

Yes I remember at a visit to one of the Disney parks, you could actually hear the fish at the surface being hand fed before you reached the pond.
There were a few hundred fish at least and “boy” they were big uns.

 

[John N]

Pity it had to let go, one heron less.
I had a couple of heron visits to my ponds then I fitted a custom made net but that wasn’t good enough for my last visitor which cleaned out my entire fish stock including a 20 year old koi.

It was a mink (I reckon ) which had managed inside one corner unsecured. After noticing the fish missing I netted the pond and pulled out a large chunk of uneaten fish flesh. Mink had been spotted at a nearby fishing pond just outside the village.

That was almost two years ago and I just haven’t the heart to replace the fish.

Post Hijack, apologies!

A very good friend of mine that had a Pond with very Expensive Fish told me that best Defense against Herons eating the Contents of the Pond was NOT a Net above the Water, but to Erect a Fence approx two feet high using cane or Stakes and Wire or String tied around the Top, Reason being, a Heron won't Land in A Pond, it will walk into it and won't Step over the Fence

 

[Merc220cls]

No need to apologise John good post but I think one of the best deterrents has a lovely wooden butt with a trigger attached and twin exhausts.

 

[John N]

No need to apologise John good post but I think one of the best deterrents has a lovely wooden butt with a trigger attached and twin exhausts.

Mine has a Composite Butt, but only One Exhaust!


PS: I come from Dalrymple!

 

[Merc220cls]

Ah ! So you might know Norrie L