Wildlife and Garden Ponds
There are so many reasons to make a pond. Aesthetically, ponds are beautiful, tranquil with so many lovely plants and grasses.
I can write about the advantages of having a pond, but the images alone showcase what ponds are really about.
Wildlife is attracted to a pond both as a source of drinking water, but also as a habitat. Many insects and creates live in the fringes of a pond. The images above show frogs; it is hard to image just how many frogs arrive at the pond to spawn and then disperse for another year. Many of the frogs which spawn in the pond live the rest of the year in the garden. This short video shows how the pond becomes frog full in March.
Ponds and wildlife go together. Installing a pond in your garden is one of the main things you can do to bring in wildlife. A pond will attract frogs, ducks (welcome or not) many birds some to bath and splash about others to fish such as Herons and even kingfishers. Insects such as pond skaters are in abundance as are dragonflies, damselflies and hawkers its a long list. All you need to bring in wildlife, is a pond.
If you add a pond to your garden, you will add wildlife, it's guaranteed. Frogs are amongst the first pond visitors and you may be unaware of them until late February and early March when the unmistakable croak can be heard. Frogs mate in March and congregate in a pond, and frankly, any pond will do so you will often find frogs visiting your pond in the first year.
Once established they will appear like magic every year for mating and then leave the pond full of frog spawn which gradually makes its way into tadpoles and eventually small frogs.
The new frogs hop out of the pond to live in your garden and surrounds for another year and it all starts again.
Frogs are almost comedic as they wrestle around in the pond. This short video shows it all.
Birds love ponds, often blackbirds can be seen at the margins dipping and washing. A pond is a source of both water and of food. Many insects are attracted to ponds which also attracts birds.
In this image a pied wagtail is standing on a lily pad, so light its delicate stance does not even dent the lily, poised looking for food.
In summer, the damselflies, darters and hawkers dash around the pond, with such speed its hard to capture the images. Luckily this red damselfly stopped to rest near the pond for a few short minutes.
Ponds and wildlife just go together. Frogs will return every year as regular visitors along with all types of insects and birds. Who knows, you may even see a Kingfisher.
It's so restful to sit near a pond with the gentle movement of water and always full of nature.
Ponds change with the seasons and surge into life in the spring.
Frozen pond in Winter
Duck alert in spring at nesting time
Steamy pond in Autumn
There is lots of detailed information and advice on the pond pages with detailed guides and images about constructing a garden pond. Ideas to help you decide what type of pond may suit you and your garden.
Check out creating a garden pond.
A step by step guide How to build a pond
specific advice on installing a Butyl pond liner.