Mystery visitor.......

[Notafettler]

Clearly it's a cat of differing tastes.

My cat catches plenty, of voles.

She spends a lot of time in the root beds hunting. It reduces the carrot damage but doesn't stop it altogether.

But no if you've got a dog it's not a good idea.

Cats not cat. 3 or 4. Dog doesn't pay much attention to the cats. More interested in pigeons.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Flooding is caused by rivers not streams.

Where does the water come from that gets into the river?

 

[mudsticks]

Thats was then not now. The environment has moved on. They do not reduce the severity of flood down stream. Once the dams are full any extra water flows over them, so there is no benefit down stream. Flooding is caused by rivers not streams. They cause flooding locally albeit in farmers fields and probably minor.
What's your problem with riverside saplings. I like sampling some become trees some fall over and go into my wood burner.

The dams slow the flow overall.

Associated build up of soil also promotes further riverbank vegetative growth, and prevents further erosion.

Farmers fields in the floodplain are designed to flood periodically.
That was the origin of the watermeadows deliberately flooded to give a flush of grass growth in spring, before the introduction of bagged Nitrogen.

They shouldn't be cultivated and put down to arable crops, that's always a risk of massive soil loss.

Most rivers, and associated land, are in Nitrogen Vulnerable Zones, so muck spreading, fertiliser use, and cultivations are routinely controlled.

No objection to saplings per se, in a well managed system they spring up often, only a small proportion ever reach maturity.

Beavers or not.

Planted plenty, and have already coppice lots only ten years later for firewood here.


Overall, beavers are considered to have a beneficial effect on eco systems.

It's well researched...

 

[Oldfentiger]

Tarka was back last night. I found scales and a fin from a large goldfish next to the pond, and a tench (15" length) on the lawn with it's face chewed off.
I have some video footage this time. Not great quality, but it's pitch black out there and I'm still playing with the camera settings.
It's 145Mb .avi file so too large to attach to this post.
Any suggestions how I can show it?

Edit:
Just signed up with vimeo>

invalid link removed, valid link in subsequent post.

 

[Beebo]

Bummer.
i fear that your fish are doomed unless swift action is taken. The circle of life in action.

 

[Oldfentiger]

I don’t think the above link works for everyone. Try this one:

View: https://vimeo.com/409141783

 

[mudsticks]

Tarka was back last night. I found scales and a fin from a large goldfish next to the pond, and a tench (15" length) on the lawn with it's face chewed off.
I have some video footage this time. Not great quality, but it's pitch black out there and I'm still playing with the camera settings.
It's 145Mb .avi file so too large to attach to this post.
Any suggestions how I can show it?

Edit:
Just signed up with vimeo>

https://vimeo.com/user113139938/review/409141783/d63fa44014

I fear Beebo is correct, I don't know about the breeding habits of otters but I'm guessing this one must have young, or a pregnancy to feed..

Small comfort for you perhaps.

It's either going to be a case of a weld mesh cover.. How big is your pond?
Would a section of Harris fencing cover it temporarily?

Or try an electric fence..

Because the otter will be relatively wet, conductivity will be good.

Or rehome the fish til t'otter goes elsewhere for dins.

It really is, just nature doing what nature is supposed to do.

Frustrating I know.

I spend a lot of time swearing at deer / fox / badgers / pigeons / rats / voles / moles /slugs / snails / cabbage white butterflies, and other assorted beasties.

But we wouldn't want them all to dissappear right ??

Sorry for your loss, tench are very beautiful fish.. Shame t'otter didn't take the whole lot.

Although the head / brain is the most nutritious part - all those lovely omegas in the brain.

Which is apparently why foxes will pull all the heads off the chickens, and leave the bodies for later :-(

 

[Oldfentiger]

I think there are only a couple of fish left in there, so I’m now inclined to let nature have it’s way.

 

[mudsticks]

I think there are only a couple of fish left in there, so I’m now inclined to let nature have it’s way.

That's very generous of you.

Then maybe look into a few really attractive pond plants.
Irises, and lillies, and so forth.

They (and the frogs and newts etc) will do so much better without the big fish in there.

 

[Oldfentiger]

We will fill the pond in and pave over, then I will dig another smaller nature pond somewhere less central.

 

[mudsticks]

We will fill the pond in and pave over, then I will dig another smaller nature pond somewhere less central.

That should keep you busy for a while

Edit - Or howzabout making the old pond into a flower bed / damp garden for marshland plants..

OK - I'll go interfere with my own patch of nature now, and leave you to yours

 

[classic33]

Black pepper on the grass round the pond.

 

[slowmotion]

There's quite a lot on YouTube about predators and ponds. They do make pond-specific electric fence systems but they are not exactly pretty. You might also look on Koi forums. Anyway, I wish you luck.

 

[mudsticks]

Black pepper on the grass round the pond.

Is this a seasoning for the last two fish ??

Maybe a couple of sprigs of tarragon too.

 

[classic33]

Is this a seasoning for the last two fish ??

Maybe a couple of sprigs of tarragon too.

I'd posted it earlier, or so I thought. But it's a way of keeping the otter from the pond.