Question
Recently a crane came into my yard. We spotted him twice in three days. The fourth day he took out 6 of my beloved goldfish that I've had for 2 years. The other six that are left are totally stressed and will not come up from the deep bottom to eat. What can I put over the top of my pond that is attractive but will prevent the loss of more of my precious fish?

Answer
Hi Debbie,
Thanx for your question.  I have heard of this problem time and time again from people who live in areas that are visited by cranes, herons, pelicans and even seagulls.  A few times here in Kansas City, I've seen some regular birds dive bomb the pond in hopes of nabbing a tender morsel of a small fish.  You could put a net over the pond but that's really going to look tacky.  The best method is animals.  Do you have a cat or some dogs?  If you have cats and/or dogs this helps keep the wildlife away from the pond.  I'm sorry but once these birds find your pond and the easy pickings you can't blame them for coming back again and again.  I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful.  One thing I might recommend is you might want to post a follow up and let me know what your county and state are and I can put you in touch with your local State University Extension Service.  I have found the services to be quite helpful and knowledgeable of local horticultural and agricultural issues.  Let me hear from you in a follow up.
thx,
Tom