about ponds being stocked by birds.?

This is a great question, I might have to star it! Really gets the juices flowing. It seems a little early for me to answer it just yet, mostly idiots. I want to wait and see what other people have to say about the "flight of the cosmic fish egg."

People used to think years ago that horsehair turned into eels and fishes. And they also used to think the world was flat. Maybe tornadoes could have moved them? No, no way. Although Dorothy's house did move somewhere, too. Hmm.

Ok, this seems good for now. I'll wait for another Einstein to answer.

I think you're reading too much into the whole scenario and perhaps omitting a few facts. Who give's a shhhh-- where the fish came from, they're there so what the hell are you going off for when you can get a rod and reel and give a few fish free lip piercings? You're basically asking which came first, the fish or the egg? There are many variables to consider and science isn't an exact absolute to anything but a best guess. We all know that.

What facts? location, proximity to nearby waters, weather, flooding, human transport, indirect human or animal transport, egg casing thickness, parasitic, non parasitic, digestive tracts of avian, mammal or reptilian and the acidity in relation to eggs species of fish. I can go on and on and on. It'll be 7-11 24-7 up in here and I won't even lose sleep!

What I'm saying Bass, is that everything holds true to a limit without a doubt, science is not an absolute answer and the more you look into to it, the farther from the truth you'll be. ~good luck catchin'.

I have seen two ponds stocked by hitchhiking back home in La. Fisher king is correct about the fish eggs attaching or sticking to the legs of water birds. Blue herings or sand-hill cranes were pretty much all around these areas. My friend had 2 ponds on his property, one good sized pond about 1/2 an acre and the other just a small dig out for clay material that filled up with rain water. Private property, no tress-passing signs everywhere with several mean dogs around somewhere. About 2 miles up the road are catfish and freshwater shrimp farms. Both ponds have shrimp and catfish in them now. The only thing around those ponds are the cranes and herrings, and a levey is located between the farms and the outskirts of the town where he lives so flooding did not migrate the fish to his ponds that way. I have known about this for many years of how eggs can be transported by birds, told to me by folks that were trying to teach me things not ******** me. 40yr exp

" The Method of Exclusion"

"It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." p315, The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet.

Birds digestive systems are not perfect. They may just be passing the fertile eggs through at their rest stops.

More probable than falling from the clouds or spontaneous creation. Habitat is precious; species will find it, if suitable and within their ability to reach.

edit;

Plenty of creatures need only a handful to survive in a place. Some die, are eaten, or never mate. Your question doesn't state the species in question, but there are many fish that need no care from adults. Salmon come to mind.

(embarrassed) Salmon are obviously a poor example, sir. Yet, if not a chance plunge from a bird, proving a negative is beyond my conversational ability.

Many species of fish lay their eggs without really building a nest and then get the hell outta dodge so if the fish that showed up in the pond are members of those species then it is a slim possibility that they cloud have been brought in stuck to the feet or feathers of birds. However most likely when weird species start showing up it's because some numb skull ( possibly trespassing) started playing johnny appleseed with his minnow bucket. We are starting to get a real nice goldfish population in some of our streams here in Kentucky and I guarantee they didn't come riding in as eggs on some birds.

I think people don't pay attention to flooding and/or the fact that their ponds aren't completely isolated... it's not quite the same as "Where did the alligator in my pond come from?" but it's close... it came in through that culvert pipe, silly, or it walked... "Really?!?" *sigh*

I always thought the idea of fish eggs on birds' feet was silly... snail eggs perhaps... frog eggs maybe, but fish eggs? I can see frog or snail eggs because they're usually laid in and around vegetation and maybe a bit of vegetation could get transferred from one pond to another via a bird's feet, but most of the fish nests I've seen have been clear spots... and most of the fish eggs I've come in contact with aren't easy to pick up due to sliminess factor, so how would they stick to a bird's feet? I can see a small percentage of fry making it in a sterile new pond with no predators, maybe enough to have a viable population by the time predators find the pond, but then again, how lucky would you have to be to basically throw a gob of fish eggs in your pond and have them land somewhere that they'll develop if they're not eaten by something?

Yes, it's late, yes I'm rambling. I'll stop now.

I'm no zoologist, but this sounds ridiculous. I have personally witnessed fish being present in a pond when "NO ONE" stocked it before, but i always thought "Hell, someone put them in there." Not, "Birds carried 'em here." I know of a pond that is supposedly "never been stocked" well tell that to the 17 inch bass, and 25+ inch channel cats i caught out of it. I just call the person who tells me "It wouldn't stocked" ridiculous and go on about my business.

I picture two young boys catching fish, taking them to the local pond and dumping them in. (Hell i did it. My back yard creek consisted of carp up to 10 lbs. when i was a kid.) There was some time way back where someone just dumped fish they caught into the pond. That simple. I know of many people i grew up with did it, including me. It was just "fun".

I have quoted this before, and i will say it again "Fish don't just come from the gates of 'bleep' and land in a pond."

Another long lived theory is that Largemouth Bass commonly grow legs, and visit ponds to lay their eggs. When done, they creep back-over to the lake, creek, etc. so no one may have noticed. I know this because my grandpaw told me.

Geeeeezzzzzz......Thought we already went over this. (lol)

Given enough time most any sterile pond (that doesn't freeze solid in Winter), will accumulate various native species of fish.

It's called "hitch-hiking" and MANY native species hitch-hike via water-birds, predatory birds (Ever seen an Osprey accidentally drop his "fish dinner"? What if he dropped an 8" Bass into a sterile pond along his homeward flight path.... repeatedly ??), mammals (muskrat, beaver, nutria, Etc) and Reptiles, (Gators are one of the #1 ways for fish eggs to hitch-hike long distances to weird, sterile, waters.)

Have you ever seen old prints/ pictures from the late 1800's of fishermen with 100+ stringers of Bass?

How did all those native Bass, (and other native fish ), manage to get into ponds and streams?

Yes, some were stocked through flooding-but what about those landlocked areas that receive no flood waters?

Bottom-line? Given enough time ANY pond (that doesn't freeze solid in Winter), has the ability to "naturally accumulate" various fish species.

And here's some examples- (paragraph 9)- http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/440577

Check out the Hazard Analysis Worksheet column 4- http://www.haccp-nrm.org/Plans/NM/dex-Haccppupfish...

(paragraph 2 in yellow)- http://www.southtexaswgc.org/overstock.html

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/waterSupply/watershed/spin...

If your really "into this" check with a State biologist or DNR officer. They can assist you with more info............

UPDATE: "You can lead a horse to water but................... sometimes he will hitch-hike to another pond." (lol)

Believe what you will, but "hitch-hiking" is common knowledge among fisheries biologist's and the EPA...............

Before I'm stoned to death, did anyone go to the links I provided?