Wildlife pond

A couple of years ago I built this pond with the main idea of attracting dragonflies. Today, I saw four big female Hawker dragonflies laying eggs in the edges of the pond - like miniature helicopters!  I've also seen a few chasers and darters visiting the pond and four species of damselflies - not to mention frogs, newts, water beetles, pond skaters and a myriad other pond dwellers.  Also, the bird visitors are unbelievable! Grey and pied wagtails, goldfinches, siskins, redpolls, twites and all the common birds regularly come for baths and to snap up the insects that frequent the pond. To my certain knowledge, there is no other patch of still water for miles around, which begs the question: where did all these creatures come from?  I think it shows the truth of the old saying " if you build it, they will come!"  Also, my bees have a regular water supply - something often overlooked by beekeepers - bees carry in large quantities of water to their hives. Anyway, all I want to say is: everyone should have a pond in  his or her garden!

That looks amazing Sean, you are so lucky to have all that wildlife. We have a stream running through our property but guess as its moving it doesn't attract the same things.

I would kill for a stream running through my property! (Actually, I have a river, but it's on the edge of my holding and too far from the house to do anything with). If I had a stream near the house, I would dig out a pond which the stream would fill and empty - waterfalls, backwaters - the possibilities are many! And for ducks and geese...!

Dont get carried away Sean . We have a stream running down the bottom of the paddock which has been handy this year. Its a pity that our holding is on quite a gradient as the water needs pumping to be useful. We also have a spring that flows from the centre of the orchard. I have dug a duck pond and use this spring to keep it flushed. It runs most of the year normally but not this year. It will be a while before it runs once more. Like you say Sean a stream would be great, especially on flat land.

The only problem we would have with trying to do anything with the stream is that we are on an old quarry, so digging anything is not really an option. Its bad enough trying to pit in a fence post.

Deryn wrote:The only problem we would have with trying to do anything with the stream is that we are on an old quarry, so digging anything is not really an option. Its bad enough trying to pit in a fence post.

Same problem here although we are not on an old quarry, there are a number of them locally taking the schale. The top soil here is very shallow in places with islands of gray clay. The cley is at least diggable to some extent and great for building a natural pond, but the shale is free draining and like you say Deryn, fence posts are a problem. I get over this by knocking in a iron gimlick first and moving it back and forth to move the broken shale out of the way. This way I can get the post in by a couple of feet or so. My irrigation pond does not hold water for very long and needs lining. Liners are as cheap as chips on ebay if we choose the woven type and guaranteed to last longer than butyl. Gloria`s ornamental pond has one. Very good methinks.

Frogs croaking all night in the pond and lots of frogspawn this morning. I love it when a plan comes together!

How satisfying is that. well done. Lets hope for plenty of babies.

So the wheel turns . We have had frog spawn for some weeks now and are expecting to see tadpoles soon. No Newts though . I put the dogs hair from his last molt into a spare bird feeder and now it is being taken. So nest building is well under way. Now the local rooks will be looking to steal all. What ever I luv it.

I have newts too. Best time to see them is with a torch at night. As to the birds: blue tits, great tits, house sparrows and starlings all popping in and out of nestboxes. I'm intending (if I get around to it ) to put up boxes for house martins, jackdaws, kestrels and barn owls, and a basket for long-eared owls.

Sean Ph'lib wrote:I have newts too. Best time to see them is with a torch at night.  As to the birds: blue tits,  great tits,  house sparrows and starlings all popping in and out of nestboxes.  I'm intending (if I get around to it ) to put up boxes for house martins, jackdaws, kestrels and barn owls,  and a basket for long-eared owls.

Proper job Sean, all of it. I have never heard or seen an Owl in Ireland. My nest boxes have never been occupied but they have been re positioned this year so fingers crossed. We do get a family of Swallows nesting in a shed each year but no House martins. It is a bit disappointing that we dont get more wildlife here, but I am happy with the way the wildlife copse is developing. Lots of bird song which is always a pleasure

Cristy, I see both Barn and Long-eared Owls around my place quite often at dusk. I put it down to all the trees I have planted (many thousands) and a strict no-poison regime. I control the rat population very effectively by trapping, and leave the mouse and vole populations alone - to feed the owls, kestrels and stoats. It's all a question of balance. Remember, for instance, that many bumblebees like to make their nests in abandonded mouse nests. Laying rat or mouse poison decimates the local fieldmouse and bank vole populations and subsequently reduces the bumblebee population. Everything is connected.

Indeed. This also applies to the local farmers. We have a fare bit of tillage around but mainly grazing and silage. I think cutting silage should be banned on environmental grounds. Then we may get Skylarks etc back. There is no wild ground around here. Everything is controlled to an inch of its life. Little thought or room for wildlife. Still. My bit of land I am trying to make an oasis for the critters. I do control the rats though. This year I am going to set up my trail cam on the bird feeders and do a bit of a survey on what pays us a visit. Might be a bit of fun. I will post some pics.

These marsh marigolds self-seeded from one I planted on the opposite side of the pond two years ago.  I notice a few others emerging here and there too.

A great marginal plant Marsh marigold. I have one plant which is also in flower now. We have not yet had any seedling from ours. Now the water is warming more critters are showing themselves. Our pond has rocks around its perimeter. Its been interesting watching masonry bees competing for burrow sites.