Sunday 21 July 2013

Pond Project #2 - 21/7/2013


I spent yesterday evening and this morning
removing a good bit of the elodea crispa 
which seems to have taken over the pond.


Removing it seemed a drastic move
 but one that I felt necessary 
to help keep the pond healthy.


As usual, anything removed from the pond
is left on the side to allow any creatures
a chance to crawl back into the pond.


I removed a fair amount of the duck weed too
but left some to provide cover the frogs
which have been visiting during the evening.


The toad tadpoles seem to be taking
ages to develop and I'm keeping my
fingers crossed they do so soon.


It looked a bit bare after the clean up
but the elodea crispa will soon regrow again.


It looks like I've lost the water
spearmint plant thanks to the slugs.


Our cat seems to like the pond, 
especially the taste of the water.
I only hope he doesn't take a fancy to the frogs.

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Pond Project #2 - 09/7/2013


I spent a good hour tonight clearing
some of the duckweed from the pond.

I can see the tadpoles once again now.

Monday 8 July 2013

Pond Project #2 - 08/7/2013


I've seen a couple of frogs the last few weeks
but finally managed to get a photo tonight.

Wednesday 26 June 2013

Wildlife Pond Showcase


I dropped in to see my Aunt and Uncle this 
evening and discovered that they had removed
their fish pond and built a wildlife pond instead.

I couldn't resist taking a quick photo of it.

Looks like its been there for years already.

Saturday 22 June 2013

Pond Project #2 - 22/6/2013


The recent warm weather means
the water level has dropped in the pond.

The duck weed seems to be taking over
but I'll hang on a bit before clearing it back.

The toad tadpoles are still active and
and now have started to get their limbs.

The frog tadpoles have all metamorphosed
and on Friday evening just gone we watched
several them leave the pond for the first time.

Pond Project #1 - 22/6/2013


Alot of small pond life active 
at the minute but I've not seen the 
Backswimmer for a few weeks. 


The duck weed is abundant right now.

Sunday 16 June 2013

Night Creatures - 16/6/2013


It's always interesting to see
what is going during the evening
in and around my wildlife ponds.

So tonight I decided to take the camera 
out along with my headtorch to see
what I could find crawling about in the dark.
 
I soon discovered the culprits
who have been munching on my pond plants.


Snails!


It was so tempting to remove the snails which
take delight in eating my plants but it would
defeat the whole idea of having a wildlife pond.

Yummy leaves?

"Okay, I'm ready for my close up"

I also found out what had enjoyed 
eating my Water Spearmint plants too.
I belive it is a garden slug of the orange variety!

Slug enjoying a Water Spearmint plant.

I've spotted several spiders living around 
both my wildlife ponds but the one below one 
was on the back wall close by a berberis bush.

Lace Webbed Spider
(Amaurobius similis)

Pond Project #2 - 16/6/2013


Some excitment this evening,
the frog tadpoles have started to metamorphose.

Saturday 15 June 2013

Pond Project #1 - 15/6/2013

Pond Project #2 - 15/6/2013


Some photos taken in the early evening.
 

The oxygenating plants are doing really well.

 
Scirpus cernuus, Elodea cripsa and Duck weed.


View of pond from the garden.

Saturday 8 June 2013

Pond Project #1 - 08/6/2013


As you can see the Yellow Flag Iris flowered.


Quite pretty really.

Monday 3 June 2013

Pond Project #1 - 03/6/2013

The Yellow Flag Iris I put into the small pond 
back in May last year is finally about to flower.
 

I can't help feeling that this plant 
is too big for this little pond now.

I may move it to the 
bigger pond in August or September.

Saturday 25 May 2013

Today's Photos - 25/5/2013

An Hoverfly basking in the sun.

Close up view.

Great Pond Snail.
(Lymnaea stagnalis)

Frog Tadpole.

Tadpoles enjoying 
the warm shallow water.

An Hoverfly resting on the Starwort.

Close up view.

A fallen leave makes a
great place to bask.

Close up view.

Look really carefully, 
can you spot the Backswimmer?

Close up view.

Wednesday 22 May 2013

Pond Project #2 - 22/5/2013

Frog and toad tadpoles.

A tadpole feeding.

Some tadpoles feeding.

A Ramshorn Snail.

Snail eggs.

Monday 20 May 2013

Pond Project #2 - 20/5/2013

Pond in miniature
Tiltshift Effect Photo

View across the pond.


View across the pond.


View across the pond.