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.
I think Great Blue Herons are one of the coolest birds to watch.
Sure they eat small fish and spike larger ones, but I just feel like they are an enjoyable part of the pond life structure.
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
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!
.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
I think Great Blue Herons are one of the coolest birds to watch.
Sure they eat small fish and spike larger ones, but I just feel like they are an enjoyable part of the pond life structure.
I'm sorry if I gave anyone the thought that GBH's are 'good' to have at your pond.
I know they cause damage, and in some case, substantial damage.
I just think it's a cool bird.
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
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.
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.
All the really good ideas I've ever had came to me while I was milking a cow.
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.