Re: birds and other critters

If you had a large pond, what you do is provide a nesting area in the center by anchoring a "raft" of some sort in the middle. People here construct a platform of wood maybe 3x3ft and place an old tire in the center. There is almost always a goose safely nesting on it.
Cathy
On Wednesday, February 19, 2003, at 12:17 AM, Marge Talt wrote:

Well, I am truly jealous of your pond!  One of my fondest dreams.
It's amazing how open areas get closed in after a few years...I
actually used to have some sunny gardens once upon a time that are
now very shady....trees just keep on growin'.

I know geese are messy as all get out, but they are such beautiful
birds...always wanted one.  Mallards would also be very nice.  I'm
not sure how well water birds would do around here, even if I had a
pond large enough to attract them, because we do have a goodly number
of fox....but I keep dreaming anyway:-)

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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From: Aplfgcnys@aol.com

Marge, it's not so much open fields - we do have an open area but

it gets

smaller and smaller as trees close in.  We are fortunate to have a

small pond

(shared with the neighbor behind us) and to be adjacent to a wooded

area of

the Blue Mountain Reservation - a county property.  The pond is

small - less

than 1/2 acre - but the mallards come every year and the

kingfishers seem to

find it very attractive.  I forgot to mention the Canadas that also

come - I

always hope they won't stay because they make such a mess.  They

usually

decide not to nest here, and after a week or so of hanging out in

the spring,

they move on.  One year a pair nested beside the pond and were very

defensive

- wouldn't let us go that way at all - but something disrupted the

nest and

there were no little Canadas.
Also, I didn't mention that we have, on occasion, seen an eagle.

They are

definitely in the area - local papers have been picturing them this

winter,

but we've been seeing them for several years now.
We're really very rustic even though part of the great

"metropolitan sprawl."

Auralie

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