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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 312
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 312 |
Cover it with lily pads? They'd take over the entire thing, but they sure look pretty . I'm terrible with grasses as I only care to know as much as what's in my pond.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,105
Member
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Member
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,105 |
Besides having a small swamp pond next to my main pond the cattails and lily pads really provide the habitat for lots of frogs and tadpoles. The cattails also have lots of Redwing blackbirds nesting at night in them so I am getting lots of fertilization but between the plants in my pond and the FA eating tadpoles FA isn't a problem. The tadpoles were so thick before the winter kill that the pond looked like raindrops were hitting the water as the tadpoles came to the top and popped the water. And as I walked around my pond the frogs were jumping in droves, keeping my dog entertained.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1 |
John,
I have Redwing Blackbirds but no cattails. Go figure.
The bank swallows came back a couple of days ago but disappeared after the cold snap. I have a pair of swallows that nest in one of my 4 inch PVC inflow pipes every year. I added another faux pipe above it for them to nest in and capped the one that is used. I don't want to wash their nest into the pond when I fill the pond, but they want no part of it. LOL May not cap it this year and hopefully they'll be done nesting by the time I need to refill the pond.
Edit: i presently have a large group of swallows flying over the big pond. I can't imagine there are any insects with sub freezing temps but...
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 04/16/14 10:00 AM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,105
Member
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Member
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,105 |
Cecil my Tree Swallows always nest in my Blue Bird houses but this year this couple is using the Wood Duck house. I have the house fill a third of the way with cedar shavings but if they fill the house the rest of the way for their babies to leave the entrance hole it may take for ever. I do have a roughened walk for the wood ducks youngsters to get up to the hole so maybe they can use that. I hope they know what they are doing. It gets even crazier around here. Here is a bat house that has never had a bat in 10 years but last year a woodpecker pecked a hole in it. A few days ago I saw a woodpecker hanging on at the entrance. The Tree Swallows just like to meet on top of the bat house.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1 |
Cool stuff John. I love my bank swallows. They chew me out and dive bomb me if I get to close to their nest, but the way they can fly and turn on a dime just amazes me.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,105
Member
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Member
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,105 |
Cecil the swallows are the ultimate flyers aren't they. What amazes me is that they can see tiny bugs to eat on the fly with there dipping, dashing and turning. It's amazing how their eyes have developed over the eons. And yes, they buzz us with in feet and are unafraid.
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 47
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 47 |
I have a pond this spring that is full of large tadpoles, does that mean they are bull frog tadpoles?
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,088 Likes: 96
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,088 Likes: 96 |
That is what I would guess. Bullfrogs are the only frogs that the tadpoles take two years to mature. All other frogs develop within a single year.
I have the same thing in my old refurbished pond. Tadpoles 2-3" long a couple weeks ago. No way I can see they were from this spring. So I'm also assuming bullfrogs. No LMB in the pond currently.
Daughters pond and son's pond that I also rebuilt have tons and tons of tiny tadpoles. 1/4" to 1". I would think they will make great food for the 4-6" BG we have been catching out of our pond and putting in theirs to stock the newly redone ponds.
John
I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,386
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,386 |
snrub, I'm pretty sure the fish will not eat the tads until they grow feet and start hoping off the banks.
Do nature a favor, spay/neuter your pets and any weird friends or relatives.
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,088 Likes: 96
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,088 Likes: 96 |
Really! Did not know that. Thanks.
Just assumed it would be a good protein meal for them.
John
I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,538 Likes: 844
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,538 Likes: 844 |
I have 1,000's of toad tadpoles in my pond every spring. The fish (LMB, SMB and BG) constantly cruise the shoreline picking off any tadpole that gets into water deep enough for the fish to swim in.
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