Evening Pond Watch - 16/5/2015

One of the best things about having a small wildlife pond in your garden is being able to go out late in the evening with a torch. This evening me and my eldest daughter popped outside to see what we could find. 

As usual I was greated with one of the resident frogs who doesn't seem to mind the torch.  In fact I could swear that it sees the torch and comes over to say hello.  

We spotted the other resident frog in wildlife pond project #1 (the smaller pond) where it seemed quite happy amongst the mosquito larvae.

It wasn't look before we spotted one of the newts, sneaking up on the tadpoles which seem to be taking their time developing into little froglets.  However I am happy to report that there are still a good few of them in the pond. 

Tadpole Snacks - 03/5/2015

I was out watching the tadpoles in the pond earlier today when I spotted one of the newts just peeking out of the water right next to them.  I quickly took a photo and seconds later I watched it take a tadpole and disappear under the water.

Luckily the tadpoles are still in abundance.

They're doing a great job

of clearing up the water.

It won't be long before the tadpoles

start developing into froglets.

The Water Mint is doing well:

Some views of the pond:

I like the view below which was taken from near the house. What I especially like is the way the pond isn't imediately obvious and how it blends into it's surroundings. That's the way I intended it to be when I installed it back in 2012.

Newt Watching - 01/5/2015

A few photos taken late this evening
of one of the newts hanging around
the smaller of the two ponds.

Normally they're in the bigger pond
going after the tadpoles but tonight this
one decided to visit the little pond instead.

Tadpoles - 11/4/2015

It rained in the early hours of this morning but when I went outside late this morning the sun was out and the tadpoles had gathered in a sunny part of the pond.  As you can see there are still a good few of them which means that the newt hasn't scoffed too many just yet.

Some tadpoles have already left the

safety of the hairgrass plant where they 

spawned and have started swimming.

Newt Confirmation - 09/4/2015

with flash

Confirmation that it was indeed a newt's tail

 that I'd spotted a couple of evenings ago.

 

 torch light only

Tadpoles - 09/4/2015

I can report that the tadpoles have

had another day of glorious sunshine.

I'm quite frustrated that I'm not able to get better photos but they're swarmed in such a spot that I'm having to get real close with the camera to avoid reflection and it's making the photos look grainy due to low light levels.  At least you can see the external gills in the shots and they're now beginning to look more like proper tadpoles.

I popped out to the pond late last night with the torch to see if the newt was hanging around again and was pleased to see two frogs in the pond instead.

Hatching Tadpoles - 07/4/2015

It's been warm today with glorious sunshine for the best part of it.  Unfortunately I didn't get to enjoy it though as I had to go to work but you can bet that the sun did wonders for the developing frogspawn.

I didn't get a chance to look in on the pond when I arrived home in the early evening as I had to go shopping.  However, when I got back later in the evening and had finished packing away the shopping I couldn't resist a quick peek with my torch.

Now I know they're not the best photos I've taken, especially given that it was pitch black.  Nevertheless they do show that the developing tadpoles have now emerged from the jelly into a writhing mass.  I've read somewhere that right now they're at their most fragile and they'll cling themselves to floating weeds or grasses until they're ready to swim around and feed on algae.

Whilst getting these photos I spotted what looked like a very long pale coloured tail just poking out from underneath where the tadpoles have hatched.  Upon closer inspection it quickly vanished but I suspect it is a Smooth Newt which will no doubt be predating the tadpoles.

Having discovered newts in my pond last year I always dreaded that should frogs lay spawn this year then there would be a good chance that the newts would come to feast.  Seeing the newt tail tonight made me want to take action to safeguard the tadpoles but to do so would be interfering with nature.  It's the reason why frogs lay so much frogspawn in the first place, to enable at least a few tadpoles to reach adulthood.

Tadpoles - 31/5/2014

Some of the tadpoles have

started to develop their rear legs now.

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.