The Rare Bird Review

It seems the changing environment is leading to some strange problems in the Cleveland, OH area, and to a unique solution to one particular problem. The problem, pictured to the left, is a great blue heron.

With declining wild areas and an increase in heron populations due to protected species status something had to change. Apparently what chaned was the herons' feeding locations. A number of them have left the wild areas for suburbia, at least in Cleveland.

So why is that a problem? It's a nice bird, pretty to look at, not at all obnoxious....unless.

Folks in the Cleveland area with small ornamental ponds in their yards are crying foul, or maybe 'fowl' in this case. Most of the ornamental ponds are stocked with koi, an expensive Japanese fish that live in shallow water and hide under decorative ledges.

These ponds and the koi have become like a fast food establishment for the herons as they drop into the ponds, stand motionless until a koi swims by and then fly off with a delicious but expensive luch. Some of the koi are $200 and $300 to replace.

Pond owners are prohibited from harming the herons, so many are using scare tactics. One lady has a realistic-looking alligator head with jewel-tone eyes anchored to the bottom of her koi pond. The movement of the water makes it look as if the reptile is alive and swimming. After a couple of weeks the herons were standing on the gator's head. Another person tried floating plastic ducks on his pond, but that didn't work either.

So far two solutionis seem to be working to deter the herons. The first is simply to have a dog in the yard. Dog sees heron. Dog chases heron. Heron leaves.

Someone in Euclid OH came up with a most unique solution that seems to work. He has surrounded his pond with plastic, pink flamingos. Apparaently herons don't like flamingos, citing some prehistoric wrong no doubt. Put flamingos around the pond and herons move on to new territory. To his credit the gentleman does move the flamingos daily, but so far his koi are are remaining in the pond and not in some heron's gullet.

This gentleman is hereby nominated for one of the RBR's year ends awards for most creative use of Bird's brethren.

The RBR will continue to monitor this situation.

Our move to the new headquarters is progressing nicely and we hope to post some new photos of the headquarters building this coming week.