Pond update!

[Queen bee]

Late last summer, we dug a pond in our garden, and within weeks it was full of life, but winter made everything go quiet. Now spring is here, it's full of weird and wonderful life again. We've introduced tadpoles (only to be told this can spread diseases :O ) Over winter, we put in a net of straw which was meant to clear up algae. Which it didn't. It cleared up on its own (apparently ponds go green at first) but it did become home to lots of beetles. There are probably lots of larvae in there now. There is a very large waterbeetle, about the width of my fingernail but longer (I saw it last year too, but when we get sun, it is much more active. Also, the sun brings the tadpoles up--they often sunbathe on the side) I've seen the water boatman again. It scooted up to the surface for a breath, then masterfully camouflaged itself by going to the handle of the waterlily basket and pressing itself upside down onto the bottom of it. I think it had its eye on the small tadpoles eating algae beneath. It vanished when I looked away, so I don't know what happened. (I am now trying to decide whether to call the sinister creature Sweeney Todd or Jack the Ripper) As I was clearing out leaves, I discovered this really weird creature that resembled some sort of aquatic woodlouse. Water shrimp? Oh, and there are lots of tiny, very baffling tube-shaped creatures that move jerkily along. Thet're about a millimetre or two in lenght and sort of shiny. And they mate like mad. I need a really good pond guide

[Kayleigh]

Its all great stuff. The newts, toads, frogs will be in there soon..

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Queen bee

Late last summer, we dug a pond in our garden, and within weeks it was full of life, but winter made everything go quiet. Now spring is here, it's full of weird and wonderful life again. We've introduced tadpoles (only to be told this can spread diseases :O ) Over winter, we put in a net of straw which was meant to clear up algae. Which it didn't. It cleared up on its own (apparently ponds go green at first) but it did become home to lots of beetles. There are probably lots of larvae in there now. There is a very large waterbeetle, about the width of my fingernail but longer (I saw it last year too, but when we get sun, it is much more active. Also, the sun brings the tadpoles up--they often sunbathe on the side) I've seen the water boatman again. It scooted up to the surface for a breath, then masterfully camouflaged itself by going to the handle of the waterlily basket and pressing itself upside down onto the bottom of it. I think it had its eye on the small tadpoles eating algae beneath. It vanished when I looked away, so I don't know what happened. (I am now trying to decide whether to call the sinister creature Sweeney Todd or Jack the Ripper) As I was clearing out leaves, I discovered this really weird creature that resembled some sort of aquatic woodlouse. Water shrimp? Oh, and there are lots of tiny, very baffling tube-shaped creatures that move jerkily along. Thet're about a millimetre or two in lenght and sort of shiny. And they mate like mad. I need a really good pond guide

The 'woodlice' could be hog/waterlouse. Not siure on jerky thing.
Oh and th best pond guide is 'Collins Freshwater life'

[Wild-Woman]

If you've got water beetles then you're doing well. The water must be balancing up nicely! Got any shots yet?

[paddy]

The beetle could be a Great Diving Beetle - watch out for the scorpion-like larva - they make the already-agressive parent look like Cliff Richard!
If it is, it will approach the surface rear-end first - they breath through spiracles on their xxxx!

[Queen bee]

The beetle could be a Great Diving Beetle - watch out for the scorpion-like larva - they make the already-agressive parent look like Cliff Richard!
If it is, it will approach the surface rear-end first - they breath through spiracles on their xxxx!

Yes, it comes up and traps a bubble with its rear. Cool diving gear... the smaller ones do that too. Come to think of it, I have seen some sort of larvae swimming around, with a pair of straight prongs on its tail. But it looked a bit tame :P

A load of pond skaters and whirligigs have appeared. They popped up everywhere on the same day... I went out for a walk the day they arrived, and on all the puddles there were pondskaters and whirlies. Our dog got excited and ran round the pond chasing them, unfortunately trampling the lovely kingcup blooms that have come up, but they're recovering well. He's lying behind me right now, dreaming of who knows what!

I saw the weird louse again the other day... I pulled up the waterlily basket to pull off some of the algae that was covering it, and it was in there, but the weirdest thing was that there were two of them, one on top of the other. Now, you're probably thinking, go and get sex education, girl, but I think they were like it last time as well... a smaller, darker louse attatched to the bottom of the other. Kinda reminds me of those anglerfish...

[dragonfly]

it sounds realy good well done have you found the less we interfer the better things are

[paddy]

[quote=Queen bee;260903]Yes, it comes up and traps a bubble with its rear. Cool diving gear... the smaller ones do that too. Come to think of it, I have seen some sort of larvae swimming around, with a pair of straight prongs on its tail. But it looked a bit tame :P

They do when they're little - -- wait until they've eaten 40 tadpoles, most of their brothers and sisters and anything else that gets in the way - if they're diving beetle larva, they'll end up the size of an index finger!! And much more pokey....

[Queen bee]

it sounds realy good well done have you found the less we interfer the better things are

Yes -- we have three goldfish in a tank inside, and if we'd put them in the pond I bet the biodiversity would be much weaker. It's just really nice watching the pond develop as it wants to, and feeling flattered that all these creatures have chosen our pond to call home!

[galanthus]

your pond sounds as if it's thriving I adore pond creatures and still spend lots of time on my tummy hanging over the pond spotting things. Keep an eye out for dragonflies and damselflies over late spring and the summer, we've had some beauties.

[shei111]

Originally Posted by galanthus

your pond sounds as if it's thriving I adore pond creatures and still spend lots of time on my tummy hanging over the pond spotting things. Keep an eye out for dragonflies and damselflies over late spring and the summer, we've had some beauties.

Hello galanthus if you hang your tummy over my pond you may see a 7 foot tall LILAC im trying to put pics on but it still says uploading after 35 mins do it take this long sheila

[galanthus]

Originally Posted by shei111

Hello galanthus if you hang your tummy over my pond you may see a 7 foot tall LILAC im trying to put pics on but it still says uploading after 35 mins do it take this long sheila

lol. Tho I did say lying on tummy looking over pond not tummy over pond

maybe your pic is too large ? Check info on upload page

[Queen bee]

We had a dragonfly looking around last year Hopefully they'll be back again when we have more warm weather. The Kingcups have finished now... but the other plants are growing nicely. Those jerky little things I mentioned have grown larger and more visible now. They seem to resemble small water boatmen... they're very strange.

[theincrediblesmiffy]

Hiya,
I recently made a small pond in the garden, and it's already swimming with creatures you cant really explain, I'm not completley sure what you have there but I just love the diversity of life you can find in such a small place.
Recently I noticed an oblong shaped thing around 1cm long attached to a floating silver birch catkin, made of a sort of fine red lattice and see through... no idea if its an animal larvae or plant or what, it dosn't move, seen anything like it?
Good luck with your pond!
Mike

[Queen bee]

Recently I noticed an oblong shaped thing around 1cm long attached to a floating silver birch catkin, made of a sort of fine red lattice and see through... no idea if its an animal larvae or plant or what, it dosn't move, seen anything like it?

I think I've seen those in a paddling pool we used to have, and I saw one in the pond recently. My theory is they're some sort of egg package.

There was a frog in the pond this afternoon. Now what's a frog doing in a pond at this time of year? Perhaps it thinks it's a tadpole. Or, as it was hot, perhaps it just fancied cooling down. It was sitting in a folded over bit of liner with its head sticking out ^^

[Kayleigh]

I have lots of frogs in the pond now. They stay there all summer, come out at night to hunt then go back it the day. I saw 4 newts laying eggs as well today. They lay all summer long.
The tiny toads are growing fast.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Queen bee

We had a dragonfly looking around last year Hopefully they'll be back again when we have more warm weather. The Kingcups have finished now... but the other plants are growing nicely. Those jerky little things I mentioned have grown larger and more visible now. They seem to resemble small water boatmen... they're very strange.

I know that taking a picture of these small things with a camera is not always easy. There is another way, and my wife is adept at this but I couldn't draw a cardboard box without someone saying "what a pretty dog". Most people can draw, but think they can't. Any chance of a sketch and and scan?

[galanthus]

I've stopped going looking for frogs in the pond when it's dark now, will have to resume in case there is frog activity.

We have 4 enormous taddies with front legs just breaking through, they are very large and as we all know by now are left over from last year The leeches are very much more active and first pond skater of the year arrived yesterday, algae a litte overgrown but tending it daily. May get the collins guide, looking online now.

[Queen bee]

We have 4 enormous taddies with front legs just breaking through, they are very large and as we all know by now are left over from last year

Crikey... creaky old tadpoles! Ours are huge now... fat lumps are growing by the day-- I checked the pond we got them from and ours are twice the size of them! Hopefully it's a sign of a rich environment that they can afford to be so fat, though they are still legless.

The pondskaters have been fighting a lot recently, flipping one another onto their backs and being really aggressive to each other. At worst they hang onto their opponent's leg viciously, and I saw a victim of this the other day. It had only two of its four skating legs left, luckily one on each side in equal places, though the whirligigs like harassing it. They're such cheeky little beetles... always whizzing up to the pond skaters and knocking them but whizzing away before they're caught. And the way they spiral around one another then swim off again... it's like a pair of mischievous kids slapping hands.

[Queen bee]

Sorry for double posting... but a few things have happened since my last post.

We have got a newt! It pops up to the surface every so often... I think it's a palmate because it is much too small for the great-crested and I've heard that Smooth Newts leave the water soon after the breeding season and live under logs, etc. instead.
We also seem to have a dragon/damselfly nymph living in the roots of the water hyacinth. We've found its shed skins, getting larger and larger, floating on the pond surface too.
The rain really seems to have confused the water hyacinth... it's flowered all over again!