Thanks All for comments
The fish gathering in the shallow sun-warmed southern edge of the pond in
spring probably was their downfall ...
Other possibilities
– no cats around. It’s an enclosed yard, and over the years I have been
ferocious with cats and they know they are not welcome, there are few in the
neighbourhood, and I have not seen one in the back yard for a long time. Also, a
cat would need to get its feet wet and move through fairly dense plantings to
get to where the fish could be accessible. (Perhaps, Charmian, you need to have
a bucket of water handy, and be ready to make very embarrassingly loud
cat-scaring noises!)
- Kookaburra is unlikely – they have taken fish from the pond in the past,
but I have seen none around, and only heard them once or twice this year at a
distance of around a block (up on the O’Connor Ridge, probably)
- Currawong – possibly – they have also taken fish in the past, but even
though we have a (rather pathetic) resident and a few more around, they have not
been near the pond
- unfortunately it’s a long time since I have seen a Sacred Kingfisher, and
I’ve never seen a White-faced Heron around here ...
BTW – there was an earlier exchange re ARs as pests (attacking sheep etc) –
I spent some time in early October with my brother going around his thousands of
lambing ewes (and calving heifers). He considers crows as a clear net benefit as
their cleaning up of carrion prevents the spread of disease etc (he’s in the
usually lush, high rainfall basalt country south of Walcha), but of course he
hates it when the crows peck the eyes of caste ewes or attack a lamb that’s
having trouble being delivered ... They did have a Wedge-tailed Eagle in one of
their back paddocks that would actively attack lambs as they were being
delivered, and not just those that were having trouble, and just take the
kidneys (or liver??). They saw this as unusual behaviour – that they just had to
accept and hope that it would not become too common ....
Though I sometimes hear the Spotted Pardalotes, they are seldom visible
(and I have not seen them attacking their reflections in our windows this
year)....
Thanks again
Barbara Preston
______________________________________
Barbara Preston Research | ABN 18 142 854 599
21 Boobialla Street | O Connor ACT 2602 | Australia
T: 02 6247 8919 | M: 0439 47 8919
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www.barbaraprestonresearch.com.au
From:
Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2013 1:24 PM
To:
;
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Piscivorous Australian
Ravens??
Barbara
Your
suspicions may be justified. Our pond was initially stocked with
goldfish. In early spring they gathered at the surface along the southern
edge of the pond to catch the first warming rays of the returning sun.
There they were easy-pickings for the local Pied Currawongs (at least the most
conspicuous sun-worshipping individuals were). We occasionally saw the
currawongs delivering goldfish to their
nestlings.
Cheers
Daryl
Hi All
We have Australian Ravens nesting in a tall E viminalis in our garden
(their fourth or fifth year in the tree). We have a pond beside the house
(clearly observed from the living/dining/kitchen area, around 0.5M deep and
1.2M in diameter, with a shallow edge against the house, overhanging
plantings, water plants, an old terracotta pipe in the bottom and azolla and
duckweed covering on average 1/4 of the surface). In early spring 4 of our 6
goldfish (mostly comets, bodies around 10-15 cm) disappeared and the remaining
two have been extremely shy ever since.
The ravens have only been observed around the pond once or twice, but of
course we are not always about, but my guess is that they are the culprits
....
Any thoughts?
(Some years ago I think was the first to formally record a piscivorous
magpie lark in an odd ob in Canberra Bird Notes
– same pond, but in the shallow section, and baby
fish ... )
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