The ESA's and the ponds have matured wonderfully since the renovation of the golf course. These new areas are a perfect habitat for many different species of wildlife. We are lucky enough to have a Great Blue Heron spending time in our pond on 17. The pond on 17 is constructed with a shelf on the north edge of the green for the establishment of aquatic vegetation. This shelf is 8 inches deep for several feet into the pond before dropping off to the deeper portions. This habitat is perfect for the Heron who likes to wade in shallow areas and feed on small fish, frogs and aquatic insects. Certainly with any diet, digestion occurs. The birds typical flight pattern out of the pond is into the prevailing winds from the south, over 17 green. Whether the intestinal obligations are a result of the flight, or the flight is a result of the intestinal obligations, we may never know. Either way, 17 green is suffering from the results.
We are trying several options for managing the situation. We continue to plug out damaged areas on the green. This has become a weekly job to tend to. The decoys in the pond are there to deter the Heron. If a Heron is already in a pond, most Herons will look elsewhere rather than confront a Heron that is already in an area. Most recently we have installed a fence in an effort to get the Heron to stand on the far east side of the pond to prevent the flights over the green.
Our next effort will be a sprinkler that is activated by a motion sensor. When the Heron flies into the pond, the sprinkler should turn on to scare the Heron away before there is a chance to land. We hope this will move him to a different area of the pond as well.
We love having the Heron on the property. Our efforts are to try and move the bird to another area of the pond to prevent the flight pattern over the green.
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