I want to start a tread of pictures of cool stuff around the pond. I thought the subject would just get everyone's attention. We will see how this goes. I would like everyone to contribute to this if you so chose. Even if you have it on another thread somewhere. I would like to see everything from fish, ponds,docks,riprap, wildlife. Just about anything and everything your proud of. Or even if your proud of it maybe before and afters.
I want to start a tread of pictures of cool stuff around the pond. I thought the subject would just get everyone's attention. We will see how this goes. I would like everyone to contribute to this if you so chose. ...
Here ya go RS. We see great white egrets occasionally at the pond. I let them stay and enjoy a frog or two before I send them on their way.
Thank you anthropic, the 2 older girls are hunters. The one holding the catfish took down a 10 pointer last year. It was in her older sister stand n oh boy she wasnt happy bout tht. You snooze you lose. The oldest is a welder and make bumpers. She started doing that at 16.
Extremely talented, there is a ton of fitting and position welding in a great looking bumper like that, thats something I know about. nice work, looks like fun fishing too!
Here is one of my favorite pond pics. For the last couple of years, whenever my wife was fishing, this guy would swim over and hop up on the bank so she could pick him up and pet him. We did not see him this summer so I guess old age or a predator got him.
I could use one of those awesome bumpers on my old Ranger whenever my youngest son is driving!
Here is one of my favorite pond pics. For the last couple of years, whenever my wife was fishing, this guy would swim over and hop up on the bank so she could pick him up and pet him. We did not see him this summer so I guess old age or a predator got him.
I could use one of those awesome bumpers on my old Ranger whenever my youngest son is driving!
All kidding aside that is cool that a bullfrog would allow that. Tell her well done!
I'm no frog expert. So that is a bullfrog? Definitely big enough. I wasn't sure with that white chest and underbelly. We have lots of different frogs. I thought it might be a Northern Green or....
yeah I was pretty excited. I have caught them on our place on trail camera before and a couple years ago we ran into two small bulls sparring in the middle of the road, but this was the first one I have seen in person on our property. The moose population around us must be doing well. Last year they introduced an "experimental" moose season for our unit. The DOW wouldn't do that unless they were happy with the numbers.
I don't understand how the heck someone mistakenly shoots a moose.
Had a visitor today. I know these eat alot of fish but I love the wildlife. The wing span on these are impressive for around here.
And what they can't eat but can reach they will stab. They are also a carrier for parasitic grubs, and if you have any snails in the pond (without RES in the pond) the life cycle of the parasites will get established.
Unfortunately it's not legal to shoot them without a permit, but you can harass them to keep their length of visits down. They WILL fly and feed at night too.
Dunn's fish farm I think makes stops in Parsons. If not Independence. It will be late spring before they have any RES. If I still had them in my forage pond I would give you some, but it is cleaned out and only FHM in it. And I have a dickens of a time catching them in the RES/SMB pond.
GBH dont just eat small fish! I've watched one here snag a sunfish as big as my hand and instead of swallowing it, flew off with it dangling from his beak. Probably going to stock a new pond somewhere!
Im with ya Sunil. My pond is more about the overall enjoyment not just the fish. I love a good looking well manicured pond. We welcome all kinds of wildlife. I have seen deer, coons, muskrats, snakes, snails, frogs, owls & various other birds, and hopefully someday see the fish.
I've been absent for a while, but this thread looks like a good one to come back to. Great photos everyone.
Backyard Christmas morning.
"Gorillas In The Mist"
Find Waldo
First one started pruning and then..
The other. Very cool shot. An online friend at another forum entered this one for me in a photo contest for the Wildlife Turkey Federation. This one is very unique. I told him if it won some money to send me a little. lol
Bubble ducks
I put in 2 wood duck nesting boxes late last winter in a 1 acre swamp that sits adjacent to our pond. They were late coming back last spring but we had 3 successful broods.
The first had 8, two weeks later, another with 4, and then a month later in late July, we saw the last group of 6. 18 total added to the population.
I plan on checking the one that is in the middle of the swamp in 3 feet of water as it is now froze and would be a good time to check it to see if it was used, and to replace the cedar wood chips in them.
What was interesting about these 3 different wood duck families, is that they would take turns sharing the pond. 2 or 3 times a day they would come from the swamp area and feed and enjoy the pond. The pond is only .6 of an acre so they shared. Sometimes 2 of the 3 females would bring their clutch to the pond, but they would usually stay apart from the other clutch. Interesting interactive behavior to watch.
On advice from some here involving super chilling, I installed two more bubblers. The one at the center of the pond in 14 fow was slowly phased out late fall for one that is in 9 fow. I used a splitter at the dock to control the air flow to the two bubblers. I disconnected the deep one completely and taped it off, and then installed another bubbler in 4 feet of water next to shore for an egress for wild life that may fall in during the winter months. This spring, I'll hook the deep water bubbler back up, disconnecting the one in shallow water, and then slowly phase it in.
Green Heron _______________________________________________
Amazing pictures and setting Corgi, you have taken pond porn to a whole new level!! Thank You I have a pretty nice building site on my new pond that I hope to build on for retirement someday that I may have potential for similar scenery,, now you have moved my anticipation to a whole new level! I would do it now but it is a little far to travel to and from work for the two of us.
Pond porn for minnows. I've already grouped about a dozen of these around the pond last fall. I'm going to tie this group together and have a spot picked out for it this spring once the ice goes. $3 each at a lumber yard. Old stock.
check just past the 4 min mark, turn up the vol and listen to me whisper when the 8 shows up. Oh baby. lol There is not much to look at past the 6 and half minute mark. One last look at the nice 8 at that point.
The turtle has came back this year. This turtle thinks it needs a little tan to get the spring going. Not sure what's normal but feels pretty good hitting the 60's at the beginning of march.
Just gave the pond a new hair cut. I'm a out a foot n half low. We havnt had a good rain around here months. I think it has helped grow vegetation. I can see maybe 9 inches of vis which is amazing for my pond.
1st picture iv been able to get of the kio. Hey where prolly 3 inches long when I got them. That was at the end of aug I believe. I would saybits about the size of a fat football now.
I have 3 kio and somewhere around 5 catfish. Also have various kinds of perch, bluegill, large mouth bass, 2 grass crap. There is some crawdads but don't see them very often. When I did a jar test it cleared very lil. I'm wanting to treat with alum. but I want the banks to get a good growth first. I plan on take the catfish out also. If the koi reproduce I will take them out also. Right now is prolly the best clarity iv ever had on the pond.
I have 3 kio and somewhere around 5 catfish. Also have various kinds of perch, bluegill, large mouth bass, 2 grass crap. There is some crawdads but don't see them very often. When I did a jar test it cleared very lil. I'm wanting to treat with alum. but I want the banks to get a good growth first. I plan on take the catfish out also. If the koi reproduce I will take them out also. Right now is prolly the best clarity iv ever had on the pond.
Rusto, that looks familiar, maybe you posted it before. I was thinking a gazebo of some sort would be nice but then started wondering if it would hurt the view from your deck. I started thinking maybe a round patio of stone with a stone fire ring and stone benches around it. Then you can see the stars at night and not block your view. The gazebo would let you set out there even if you get a little rain. If your gazebo is all metal and tall enough maybe you could vent it in the center and put a small fire ring under it. You may have already thought of all of this but just thought I'd tell you what I would be thinking about if it was me.
