Autumn Tidy Up - 27/10/2014

I used to worry about clearing out the elodea crispa but having now done it a few times I know it will grow back over time.  Today I spent the morning and afternoon having a clear up in the garden.  The leaves have started to fall and most weekends will now be spent clearing them out of the ponds.

As you can see above there was

quite a lot of elodea crispa.

Most of the leaves haven't fallen from the nearby trees yet
but already there were plenty of leaves to clear.

Figgy was quite content to watch me 

working from the comfort of his white chair.

The pond looked a little less cluttered once

I'd cleared out the leaves and elodea crispa:

Having acquired a few stones I give them a

really good clean and set about adding 

them to the edge of the pond.

There had been one particular area

of the pond I wasn't quite happy with

and used the stones to make some improvements.

Time will tell if I'm happy

with the new stone layout.

So far it looks much better than it was.

I used another stone to add a ledge for birds

to use when having a drink:

The water was a little murky after the 

clean up but it will clear up in a few days.

Almost Autumn - 23/8/2014

Well it's almost Autumn and there isn't much going on in the ponds  now.  I had a clean up of elodea crispa which was beginning to run riot in Pond Project #2 but apart from that all I've been doing for the last few weeks is removing the odd fallen leaf.

I've not seen the stickleback and frogs for a while but to be honest I've been too tired of an evening to go out with my torch to look for them.  The birds are still visiting and they leave their tell tale signs of feathers and oil on the surface of the water.

The black dragon plants have survived the summer and are doing okay.  I'm hoping they'll get more bushy next year, time will tell I guess.

The frosted curls grass has survived too 

and gone a little more bushy now:

Pond Project #1 keeps losing water 

but I'm certain it's the Yellow Flag Iris 

plants which are drinking it all:

I've not seen much wildlife in the smaller

pond apart from mosquito larvae.

Pond Project #2 blends into 

the back garden rather well now:

Today's Photo - 23/6/2014

House Fly

(Polietes lardarius)

Shy Frog - 22/6/2014

I've been watching this little fella in my small wildlife pond for some time now. He's very shy but managed to get a photo of him before he vanished:

Pond Project #2 - 22/6/2014

Mass Exodus - 18/6/2014

It was fun whilst it lasted but today I had to come to terms with the fact that the little tadpoles had finally developed into frogs and now they were beginning their mass exodus.

I sat and watched as one by one they left the pond and made their way to safe ground.  The majority of  them seemed to disappear into the stone crevices whilst some made their way further afield.

Hopefully some will make it back in the future.

Metamorphosis - 16/6/2014

Metamorphosis is well under way
and I've plenty of little frogs
developing at the minute.  

I watched one little frog climb

out of the pond earlier this evening.

It won't be long before they all go their own way. 

 

Tadpoles - 31/5/2014

Some of the tadpoles have

started to develop their rear legs now.

Wildlife Pond Showcase

What a great way to spend an evening.

This is Rob and Amy's pond 

in Rhode Island, USA.

Such a great pond that I couldn't

resist contacting them to get their

permission to showcase it on my blog.

You can see more of their

fantastic pond by visiting 

the following link:

Rob and Amy's Pond

Newt Hideout - 18/5/2014

Now that I've actually seen Newts in Wildlife Pond #1 I am keen not to disturb them too much.  However I did want to have one more look to see if they were still around so slowly, quietly and carefully I had one final peek to see if I could spot the new residents.  Sometimes you can look and look and you still can't see the wood for the trees but eventually I spot a Newt in it's hideout.

I have Newts - 17/5/2014

It's now become a daily ritual for me to spend a few minutes looking at both my little ponds each evening after work.  Upon each inspection I wonder what I'll find has arrived next, some Diving Beetles or Water Boatman perhaps. 

Anyway, having watched the frogs for a few minutes in Pond #2 I have a quick look at the Pond #1 and as I lean over to have a closer examination something  moves very quickly under the water.  It's too small to be a frog but immediately I recognize the shape, it's a Newt!  I can't tell you how excited I am as I sit patiently waiting to get another glimpse of.  After ten minutes of waiting I decide to leave and return after dark to see if I can see it with my torch.

As darkness falls I venture back into my back garden and as i shine the torch I'm greeted with the site of a little Newt sat on upon some weed.  Quickly I run back into the house to grab my camera and I'm able to snap some photos.

I didn't expect this in a million years!

As I move in closer with the camera I get yet another exciting surprise, there are two Newts!  In the next picture you can just make out the second Newt near the top.

Stickleback - 17/5/2014

Here are a couple of photos of the Stickleback 

which has appeared in Wildlife Pond #2.

Today's Photo - 16/5/2014

The Yellow Flag Iris flowered today.

Frogs Retreat - 16/5/2014

One of the places I regularly find 

frogs hiding is behind the scirpus cernuus plant. 

At first glance, it's not an obvious find,

but a closer inspection reveals 

a seemingly content frog.

What a great Frog Retreat!

Sometimes there is no need for a retreat,

another frog was quite happy sitting in amongst

some Hair Grass (Eleocharis acicularis):