Ducks on the pond

[abchandler]

I've lived in my current house for about 18 months. The previous owners had created a fish pond about 15ft x 8ft stocked with 20 or so fish.

This morning, for the first time since I've lived there, I saw a pair of ducks swimming on the pond.

I like to let nature into the garden so any thoughts on whether I'm better to encourage them to stay or (politely) to leave?

 

[4F]

Got any oranges ?

 

[Globalti]

If it's a couple they might have some cute little cuddly-wuddly baby ducks.

 

[ianrauk]

ARF ARF
(Your quackers mate)

Got any oranges ?

 

[marinyork]

Let them stay . What breed are they?

 

[Maz]

Lucky you, abchandler - I'd love a pond in my garden.
I would encourage all the wildlife into/onto the pond. Be wary, though - herons take a fancy to pond fish.

 

[gavintc]

Could be quite tasty.

On the down side if they stay, they will crap all over your garden.

 

[abchandler]

Lucky you, abchandler - I'd love a pond in my garden.
I would encourage all the wildlife into/onto the pond. Be wary, though - herons take a fancy to pond fish.

I have an overhanging tree which covers most of the view from above, and a plastic heron at the side of the pond. So far I've not lost any to herons.

You never know by the time I get back from work tonight they might have flown off.

 

[abchandler]

Let them stay . What breed are they?

Common or garden mallard as far as I can tell

 

[colly]

I have an overhanging tree which covers most of the view from above, and a plastic heron at the side of the pond. So far I've not lost any to herons.

You never know by the time I get back from work tonight they might have flown off.

I put a plastic heron in to discourage a real one from eating all the fish. Didn't work!
In fact I looked out one morning and I think the real one was taking an interest in it..............hoping to get a leg over I expect.

 

[Landslide]

Common or garden mallard as far as I can tell

Sound like the garden variety to me.

 

[ajb]

I've got one of those plastic herons, I was told to move it every 3/4 days, live herons will watch a pond for a while and if you dont move the plastic one it will know and come in anyway, If it thinks it's real (by moving it around) it will not come in.

Dont know how true it is, but I've had mine about 3 years now and not lost any fish, there are herons around here, I live 300yards from a river and will regularly see herons down there.

Alan.

 

[rich p]

We had a couple of mallard on our small pond (3 m x 1m) for a few months and the sh*t in the water killed the fish. The upside was that they ate all the slugs and my dahlias were superb

 

[abchandler]

We had a couple of mallard on our small pond (3 m x 1m) for a few months and the sh*t in the water killed the fish.

That hadn't occurred to me - I do have a full time filter running though, so hopefully that will take care of it