MY trophy fish, not HIS!

<------------  THIS BIRD
                   ATE MY FISH!!!

He wandered into the yard this morning around 7:00 a.m.   Look how casually he strolled in, fully intent on helping himself to breakfast from my pond.  For the next half hour I was engaged in a battle between trying to get dressed and running outside to chase him away. I had a noisemaker to scare him off: an empty coke can filled with a few coins and taped shut and I would throw it in his direction. He would fly to the roof next door and wait for me to go back in the house.  Then he'd come again.
I sent  Buddy after him 3 times and that didn't work either.

Now look how arrogant he is. It's about 7:30a.m. and he knows his beak is bigger then my Good For Nothing Cats, who were NOT around to defend the pond from the Enemy.
I went out to the shed to find some wood to cover part of the pond to give the fish more shelter. They have a crate to swim inside of, but this morning, they just swam to and fro, without a care in the world.

I need to get a color-coded terror alert system for them.
The wood had spiders all over it and some disgusting bugs and I couldn't bring myself to pick it up. I wish I had.  I improvised and covered part of the pond with a big surf board, hoping the fish would swim under it and hide.

Around 7:30 a.m I noticed some commotion going on near the pond, and just like that, he stole my fish.  Buddy and I chased him out of the yard but it was too late. He flew across the street and took his sweet time, just STANDING on the roof  so I could watch him eat the fish. He even posed long enough for me to go back in and get my camera, that's how conniving he is.  Look at him posing with his trophy fish.

If you double click, you can see how big the fish was. (I dont have a good zoom on my camera).
I bought these goldfish 12 for a dollar when they were barely 2" long.  Look how big they grew in that pict!  I am sooo  mad.  If I ever get  my hands on his scrawny little neck... ..

Comments

[Nils]

On behalf of the citizens of Prince Edward Island, thank you for taking such good care of our herons while they enjoy their winter vacation. We look forward to seeing them, fat and happy, in another few months :)

[jeff]

Poor fish,they never get the recognition they deserve while they are still with us. I thought a statue of that poise on the roof might honor his life, perhaps a plaque on the bottom with some kind words. By the way Sams club sell Jamaican Blue Mt and Hawaian coffee @ $14 for a 2 LB bag.

[Laura]

harrump. I can see that none of you feel my pain. you have no idea what it is like to see a little nemo goldfish grow from a mere 2" TO A FULL SIZED, FULL FLEDGED WHOPPER FISH AND NOT DIE WHILE UNDER YOUR CARE!
and this also reminds me of my dear departed Golaith; the goldfish that was so big, we took out of the pond so the birds wouldnt eat him. we kept him in our aquarium until one day his eyes popped out of their sockets and something odd had happened to him. none of us could bring ourselves to look at him, it was so gross. I have a pict of him around here somewhere. I'm going to post it one of these days...
the healthy version, not the aftermath.

re: the coffee.. Suzette, thanks! I'll see if I can find that brand locally and give it a try.
Jeff, I'm overdue for a trip to Sam's club anyway. I buy Jamaican blue mountain there once in awhile, usually after you and Karen leave and I can put the cheap stuff away.
*snicker*
kidding!

[Nils]

Oh, no .. I feel your pain, really I do. I'm just happy for Nemo, being able to contribute to the great cycle of life and not suffering Goliath's sad fate of being stuffed so full his eyes popped out.

If it's any consolation, think of how hard it will be for that poor heron to labouriously wing his way back up to his summer home at my golf course, 1500 miles away, laden down, stomach distended, burping up gold scales every few miles, suffering the taunts from all the other herons: "Hey, fattypants, you been on the Clearwater Beach Diet???"

[Florida Cracker]

Hey Nils is pretty funny. Oh,by the way, Walmart carries Folgers and Maxwell House.

Now about your fish...did you put a bunch of plants in there? I seem to remember a comment where you were going to do that. Poor goldie might have hidden deep beneath the lilly pads.

My Papa (granddad) laid hardware cloth across his fish ponds to protect the gold fish from cats. I don't think he was lucky (unlucky?) enough to have a full blown blue heron in his backyard.

[read pirate roberts]

i definitely feel your pain, having had fish taken by raccoons from one pond and now by herons and raccons from our current pond. i put fish shelter in the pond, but the fish are gone anyway. they started as 1/2 inch feeder fish and got up to 6 or 7 inches. not as big as yours, but still a loss. the next pond will be deeper.

[Laura]

Dread Pirate, we also have raccoons around our house, and I've often wondered why they don't go after the fish. Some of the coons are much bigger than our cats, so they have little to fear in that regard.
When we first built the pond, we bought several beautiful Koi, and they were gone within a week, much to my chagrin. Ever since, we've raised feeder goldfish instead. They're quite hardy and tend to last and last... till the birds get to them!

[Marcia]

I would be so mad, too!!!! Your poor fish. I can't believe how big it got! (well, I can believe it, I've seen other goldfish do the same, but it's still amazing) And it's so brightly colored!

How many more do you have left?

[worldwriter]

I'm from Prince Edward Island, up here in Canada, we put wire grids over our ponds because we don't like the herons to get fat and not be able to make it back down there to you folks. If you just get some simple alluminum wire and cut it into strips which you tie to tent pegs around your pond to form a grid of 2 - 3 inch squares it will stop the heron, also... get a decoy heron to put beside your pond, these plastic or wooden herons are cheap and herons will not fish in the same pond as a stranger.

[Nils]

The next meeting of the PEI Chapter of the Vitamin Sea Fan Club is Tuesday at 8. This week we'll be having a slide show.

[Laura - VitaminSea]

Well, well, well! I hadn't thought of using a decoy heron at all. Thank you very much worldwriter, that is a great idea. I have fishing line strung in the same manner you suggested, but the bird is able to gingerly step in and around it. Amazes me how cunning he is. I'll try using the wire method instead, and string the grid closer. Bells, by the way, don't deter them. Neither do lazy, useless cats sleeping nearby. Thanks again for sharing these tips and come on back anytime. :)

Nils, a slide show, eh? Of what....? and should I send Rico up there to spray... I mean, narrate the show for you all? ;)