There is the hard news full of fear and fright and then there is the soft news. Today it is the Charlcombe Lane Toads that provide the happy news. It is their spring time of massing once more at the ponds to follow the annual ritual of mating. Volunteers go up to the lane and help the toads and frogs also across the lane to safety from passing cars and once more this little haven of protection fulfils its duty to the natural world. The lane is closed down for 6 weeks.
My son and I dug two ponds in the Bath garden many years ago. The first one was smallish and it was hard work, we left the rubber sheeting inside the dug out pond folded over. Next morning I came down and flicked the sheeting over and there inside were two newts waiting for the water. The valley had at one time had a stream running through and somehow the newts must have understood the meaning of the hole we had dug.
This pond gave great pleasure, frogs came down to mate and we had tadpoles swimming around, until, tiny as your thumb, small frogs would appear in the grass. It is not all sweetness and light though, occasionally one would find a drowned female frog, the instance of rape in the frog world was wretched, as males piled onto the poor female.
A mating of blue damselflies
Damselflies and dragonflies clung to the iris leaves in the summer, and once the miracle of rebirth, as a chrysalis hanging on, slowly gave birth to a dragonfly as I sat there on the stones we had surrounded the pond with. The second pond was larger and wider, also shallow and the goldfish had young in it, though of course the heron was a visitor to the ponds in search of a tasty snack.
Golden eyed dragonfly emerging
Creating a garden for the many creatures that should be allowed to occupy it. 2008
What a lovely nature memory. You did something special and I hope it survives to this day.
ReplyDeleteSadly not. The house was bought up be a doer-upper, I expect he translated the garden to a neat and tidy suburban garden.
DeleteWe inherited a large pond when we moved when I was a child. It used to have water voles.
ReplyDeleteA fairly rare mammal to find now Tasker but I expect the minks from down South did not get up North.
DeleteIt's funny how just digging a hole in the ground and allowing it to fill with water can attract so much wildlife. Well done to you and to your son too.
ReplyDeleteIt is surprising what arrives with the water plants as well Neil, little beetles swanning around. It is a complete ecosystem.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos and pond memories.
ReplyDeleteMy sink pond isn't doing too well, I couldn't dig a deep enough hole to sink it into -still hopeful
That is the problem Sue, depth, we dug down till we reached clay. Of course you have built steps for the frogs to get into the water;)
DeleteI have inherited a rather large garden pond here, but it will have to be fenced around for Rosie's safety. Half of it is Flag Irises though, so need to try and remove some - waders needed!
ReplyDeleteI 'fenced' with rushes a good way around but of course as Tom was little then would always be with him in the garden anyway Jennie.
DeleteMy daughter has a pond in her back yard. Her partner's brother works for Aquascape and they build ponds all of the world. It is not quite finished yet - they need Spring to come so they can finish the grass and plantings. But it is beautiful with several waterfalls and beautiful lighting. They did a lot of the work themselves to save money. If you Google Aquascape you can see samples of their work.
ReplyDelete