A great blue heron has been snacking on goldfish from a London backyard pond

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 20, 2025 3:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 20

A backyard pond successful London's Old North neighbourhood has go an all-you-can-eat buffet for 1 ample feathered visitor.

Jason Stewart said helium and his woman were enjoying their accustomed greeting java earlier this week erstwhile they spotted a large bluish heron swoop into their backyard and onshore by their pond.

"I thought possibly it was going for the snails," said Stewart successful an interrogation connected CBC's Afternoon Drive. "Then it popped up with 1 of our large orangish goldfish successful its beak. That's erstwhile we realized what was happening."

The pond has been a backyard diagnostic for a fewer years now, implicit with a fountain, wildlife, and, until recently, a thriving colonisation of goldfish. Stewart said helium initially received a fewer food arsenic a acquisition erstwhile the pond was installed. They multiplied implicit the seasons, with dozens of babe food appearing each spring.

But lately, the numbers person been dropping.

"I thought they were conscionable hiding nether the rocks," said Stewart. "It wasn't until I saw the heron that I realized what was going on."

The full brushwood was caught connected video and shared to a section Old North Facebook group, wherever it sparked a premix of awe and amusement. Stewart said helium received dozens of messages, immoderate from neighbours who had seen the vertebrate flying overhead and others who were amazed to larn herons were hunting truthful adjacent to home.

"They're beauteous birds," helium said. "And if 1 gets a repast retired of it, I'm not excessively fussed. It's nature. Hakuna matata."

While immoderate pond owners might net their h2o features oregon instal deterrents, Stewart is taking a much relaxed approach.

"They've survived raccoons and everything other for a fewer years. If I suffer a fewer more, I'll conscionable get more."