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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pond Project #1 - 08/6/2013

As you can see the Yellow Flag Iris flowered.

Quite pretty really.

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.

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.

Pond Project #2 - 22/5/2013

Frog and toad tadpoles.

A tadpole feeding.

Some tadpoles feeding.

A Ramshorn Snail.

Snail eggs.

Pond Project #2 - 20/5/2013

Pond in miniature
Tiltshift Effect Photo

View across the pond.


View across the pond.

View across the pond.