Pond Success!!!!
Having a pond has enriched our property not only for swimming, ice skating and hanging out, but it has also given us so much more wildlife, so many more birds, fish, turtles and insects. I love to sit on the dam and just watch what is going on in this “universe” that we created. One of the birds we attracted with the pond is the red-winged blackbird. They build their nests in a row of cattails that showed up along the embankment of the pond. They defend their eggs by flying low over my head if I come too close.
Barn swallows now skim the water for food in the evenings. Herons stalk the edges for bass. A variety of small birds, bats and dragon flies wheel above catching insects on the wing.
Throughout that first year, we had resolved that this would be something of a science experiment for us. Since the pond was land locked and far from any stream, we wondered how life could take hold in the barren hole with water. The water coming from our spring was screened at the intake pipe, no holes larger than a BB. How might life develop without our help?
During that first year, it was wondrous to see life blossom! Wisps of algae started to form in parts of the bottom. Duckweed volunteered as well. Myriad insects came to birth new generations. Frogs appeared and soon we had thousands of tadpoles. Birds were quickly finding the new buffet.
Having a pond has enriched our property not only for swimming, ice skating and hanging out, but it has also given us so much more wildlife, so many more birds, fish, turtles and insects. I love to sit on the dam and just watch what is going on in this “universe” that we created. One of the birds we attracted with the pond is the red-winged blackbird. They build their nests in a row of cattails that showed up along the embankment of the pond. They defend their eggs by flying low over my head if I come too close.
Barn swallows now skim the water for food in the evenings. Herons stalk the edges for bass. A variety of small birds, bats and dragon flies wheel above catching insects on the wing.
Throughout that first year, we had resolved that this would be something of a science experiment for us. Since the pond was land locked and far from any stream, we wondered how life could take hold in the barren hole with water. The water coming from our spring was screened at the intake pipe, no holes larger than a BB. How might life develop without our help?
During that first year, it was wondrous to see life blossom! Wisps of algae started to form in parts of the bottom. Duckweed volunteered as well. Myriad insects came to birth new generations. Frogs appeared and soon we had thousands of tadpoles. Birds were quickly finding the new buffet.
After the first full year of having a real pond, we got 200 fathead minnows and 100 bass from the agricultural extension to stock the pond- the only addition we ever made. We went there with 2 big barrels of water strapped in the back of our neighbor’s pickup truck and were worried that it wasn’t enough water for my purchase. Guess what; they gave us two little plastic bags with 200 baby minnows and 100 baby bass! We could hold them in our laps on the way home.
A similar thing happened with pine trees we bought at the agricultural extension. A natural screen of pine trees would make our pond very private. so we ordered 100 trees to line the edges of the field
Picking up our 100 pine trees we of course took the pickup to transport them home. What did we get? A little bundle wrapped in burlap that I could carry in one hand! They were seedlings, which have grown into a nice tall screen during the last twenty years
A similar thing happened with pine trees we bought at the agricultural extension. A natural screen of pine trees would make our pond very private. so we ordered 100 trees to line the edges of the field
Picking up our 100 pine trees we of course took the pickup to transport them home. What did we get? A little bundle wrapped in burlap that I could carry in one hand! They were seedlings, which have grown into a nice tall screen during the last twenty years
In the meantime, the bass have grown into bigger fish and attracted visitors. One of them is a blue heron. I see him standing at the embankment of the pond waiting for his dinner to be served. To our great delight, we once saw a bald eagle sitting on a tree branch looking at the pond. He eventually swooped down and plucked a large small-mouth bass and flew away. We bought a little boat and found out that our cat Fyre loves to sit in the front of the boat staring at the fish. I hope he never jumps in.
The pond has also helped with our insurance! Our local volunteer fire company came out and mapped it’s location as a ready location to re-tank their pumper trucks for emergencies on our road - kind of like having a fire hydrant on your suburban block.
The pond has also helped with our insurance! Our local volunteer fire company came out and mapped it’s location as a ready location to re-tank their pumper trucks for emergencies on our road - kind of like having a fire hydrant on your suburban block.
Now this forgotten corner of a hay field is brimming with life! It serves as a way station for migrating ducks and geese, as well as other migratory birds. The local birds have also increased as the food supply around the pond has increased. It attracts a variety of local amphibians. As a source of water, we spy deer, foxes, minks and turtles. It has grown into a self sustaining, rich ecosystem.
As I sit here in my den sipping my morning coffee, I gaze out over the pond. The low angled rays of the rising sun riot through colorful autumn leaves, bathing the rising mist over the pond in a pastel glow. It was worth every minute and month of effort!
As I sit here in my den sipping my morning coffee, I gaze out over the pond. The low angled rays of the rising sun riot through colorful autumn leaves, bathing the rising mist over the pond in a pastel glow. It was worth every minute and month of effort!