I have a resident white egret that nests in a tree above my pond. I have some type of smaller (about 1 foot tall) heron that stocks the shore line as well.
One day the egret seemed to be having a field day taking some fry out of the shallows. I got fed up and paddled the kayak over to the shallows. I sat there in the kayak and shouted at the the large bird, I even splashed water at him.
All he did was slowly look up at me. It might be my imagination but he seemed to be giving me the "stink eye." If he could talk I sure he would have said "Are you shouting at me, are YOU shouting at ME!" I had visions of being attacked by the sharp billed beast and decided to leave him be. I didn't want to become the subject of a remake/update of the Alfred Hitchcock classic.
I finally just decided that it was all part of the cycle of nature thing and ignore it. I gotta tell ya it's tough being a Type A personality and a pond owner.
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Anyway, your bass and bluegill are eating a lot more minnows that the egret will. After all I read in one of the pond boss books that it takes 10 pounds of food for a bass to grow 1 pound (or something like that). Did you know how many minnows it takes to weigh 10 lbs?? Me either but I bet it's a lot.
