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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

The Pond (1 Viewer)

Sounds like you have a lot going on Zoo. The low swamp land attracts much wildlife, it is a shame that so much is being destroyed. My list keeps growing of building ways to attract wildife. A second pond is to be finished this year but will only be stocked with minnows to attract more herons. I want to put up a kestrel house on the sunny hillside and move some big barn stones to make stone gardens. The ridding of non-natives will continue especially the multi-flora rose that are everywhere. The local Audubon sells native plants. I bought a macro lens for the wild flowers this spring so pictures will be on the way.
 
Zoogoer and Gary you certainly are fortunate to have that land to make your sanctuaries. I've dreamed of having what you have. Must be very satisfying to have such lovely sanctuaries. Maybe in a few years my wife and I will have a property large enough to build a sanctuary, but until then I will have to live it vicariously through your posts. Looking forward to seeing more pictures.
 
The ice is gone finally from the pond. With a few sunny warm 50 degree days and being south facing, all the ice is gone and wasting no time a pair of Mallard ducks have decided to do breakfast.....lunch......and dinner there. They are using the shallow area that was dug out by hand and standing on the large rocks I put in the middle. Its great to see a plan come together. The pond takes on different colors as the spring turns into summer. The spring turnover occurs and a lot of the rotting vegetation comes to the surface. Not pretty but it happens. After the first spring rains it all dissapears and the water clears and life begins to start again with dragon flies, water beetles and the annual spring toad migration/mating party. Well getting too far ahead of myself but it is a big part of my small sanctuary.
 
On the edge of the pond one day, I walked up to a mourning dove that was on the edge of the pond. Then noticed that the head was missing and spinal chord remained. It seemed as though it went in for a drink and some animal made a meal of it. Any idea what would do this. I came up with a weasel or a snapping turtle although had not seen any at the time.
 
The spring turnover has happened in the pond. small chunks of rotting vegetation are floating on the surface and it looks a mess. Not much action on the pond as the weather is still too cold. Geese fly over honking but none have stopped for a rest yet. Usually a couple stop leave their calling card all over the shore and depart. Tried to put a nesting island on the pond but no takers. Going to try a large stocking of minnows to attract the kingfisher this year and hope that the minnows start breeding and multiplying.
 
A huge rain storm is moving through with high temperatures in the low 70's and this has brought the song of the small frogs we call spring peepers. Their song fills the valley with high pitched peeps. House sparrows have taken over all the house around the pond but it is still early for nestings.
 
The pond is coming alive with wildlife. Barn swallows are getting thier afternoon drinks, toads have deposited thousands off eggs around the shores, frogs both the green and bullfrog are singing at night with the toads, lots of small fish and two big canadian geese dropped in for a visit. The loud honking gave them away as the pond is 150 feet away from my house but as the honking continued I realized what it was all about. The local neighbors have once again left their huge cat out to play. A staring contest ensued and the cat came within 50 feet and left. No match for the bites of a full grown goose. Unfortunately the geese left soon after the confrontation. Still wainting for that first heron of the year to drop in.
 
While canoeing in a local state park many years ago I came up to a stand of dead trees in the water. Many of them had holes in them made by woodpeckers and flying around were green tree swallows. I put up a bird house on my pond in hoping to attract the tree swallow and it actually worked. The following year a pair nested in the house. It is something to try if you want to attract a pair of tree swallows realizing though that they do like bluebird houses and will nest in houses over land.
 
A new year and a new duck in the pond. A lone female ring necked duck came to visit for four days, diving for food and enjoying my small pond. the male never showed up. A few days earlier a pair of mallards and a pair of wood ducks, male and female appeared a first light. The wood ducks will not stay if they see a person but the mallards were a little more tame.
 
Gary, your pond sounds great. I added a small pond with minnows for the same reason. The funniest was how many people told me that I needed to have bird netting over the pond and other similar bird deterrents, otherwise the birds would eat all of my fish. When I said that the point of the fish was to attract birds, they gave me a look as if I had grown an extra head.

Isn't it amazing how many birds come flocking to the water? I quadrupled the bird numbers in my garden overnight.
 
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