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Pond Life: |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416  View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 15 Jul 2008 Some of you may remember my pond that I made , it's now fairly established 
There are damsel flies , skaters , diving beetles, dragonflies, frogs and newts, and this morning a new surprise... leeches! 
While removing blanket weed and picking out various creatures I saw a lovely Black and gold leech about 2 inches long. I took it out of the weed and watched it swim off, great! So what I wondered is , how do leeches get to a pond? 
Cheers Al O-> O+> |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 15 Jul 2008 Forgot to mention, I've put out sheets next to the pond and have Two regular slow-worms too O-> O+> |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 15 Jul 2008 Al, I was out in the garden once looking for the big nightcreeper worms ready for perch fishing next day and I picked up what I thought was a gigantic worm on the lawn, then shone the light on it and found it was a leech! Thye travel over land at night, much like Eels and migrate to different ponds. Yuk. Rob RobV |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 15 Jul 2008 Hi Robert, Thanks mate, I did wonder . Any Idea how far they can travel over land? Cheers, Al O-> O+> |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 15 Jul 2008 I was sat by my pond last summer and saw a leech swim across just under the surface. I too wondered how it got there. I used to live on the shores of Lake Windermere where we had them. We used to use live minnows for bait and stored them between fishing outings in either gauze containers with lids weighted down in the lake or in biscuit tins with holes punched in to allow a free flow of water/nutrients. We only did this a few times, and only ever for a day or so, as leeches would get in through the holes and suck the life out of every minnow - gruesome! Suz |
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tim hamlett Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 572  View other posts by tim hamlett |
Posted: 15 Jul 2008 glad to hear your pond's been such a success al. tim |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Hi Suzi , Tim
Tim, thanks mate Suzi, That's a rather nice story, Poor minnows 
I had quite a few leech encounters growing up. I used to swim nearly every day in the lakes at Shepperton middx. Often i'd get out with a passenger on my legs O-> O+> |
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dave fixx Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 No. of posts: 319  View other posts by dave fixx |
Posted: 27 Jul 2008 having two ponds delivered tomorrow,hope I have some similar luck to you Alan,I ve seen a couple of frogs whilst clearing the area,its like they are waiting for the ponds .
Dave Williams davewilliamsphotography.co.uk |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 27 Jul 2008 You'll probably have a frog or two in your new ponds within a day or two, I did! Even with just water in and no plants they were there. Many years ago a friend's daughter found one in her small inflatable paddling pool! It must have jumped in. She screamed and screamed! It had gone in there within hours of the pond being filled. Suz |
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adamanteus Senior Member Joined: 03 Jun 2008 No. of posts: 66  View other posts by adamanteus |
Posted: 27 Jul 2008 I'll be constructing a wildlife pond on my allotment this Autumn... a biggish one... so I'll be picking your brains for ideas and info. James. |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 31 Jul 2008 Hi James, anytime mate O-> O+> |
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dave fixx Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 No. of posts: 319 View other posts by dave fixx |
Posted: 03 Aug 2008 full marks Suzi,as I was sinking the second pond,I had this visitor. 
Dave Williams davewilliamsphotography.co.uk |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 03 Aug 2008 Suz |
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Dave1812 Member Joined: 21 Sep 2008 No. of posts: 42  View other posts by Dave1812 |
Posted: 24 Sep 2008 Any more photos on the pond? David Hind Wildlife Trust (Cumbria) - Member Solway AONB - Volunteer |
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dave fixx Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 No. of posts: 319 View other posts by dave fixx |
Posted: 15 Oct 2008 not many more pics but this is one of the frogs that took up residence and has now gone under the fence to hibernate.  Dave Williams davewilliamsphotography.co.uk |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 15 Oct 2008 Plenty of frogs in my pond still. I find that they are active in the pond all year round and there is no evidence of hibernation. I can ID individual frogs is how I know. Ice on the pond sends them under for a while but ice-free days are frog days! I wonder about the balance of active/using calories/needing food works when other stuff in the pond might have flown or gone and the garden slugs etc. have gone to earth. Suz |
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dave fixx Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 No. of posts: 319 View other posts by dave fixx |
Posted: 17 Oct 2008 you obviously dont live in the baltic north east of wales Suzi.  Having said that I did see one christmas day last year,before I even had the ponds.Dave Williams davewilliamsphotography.co.uk |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 17 Oct 2008 I was really pleased to see that the buby newts from my pond have gone on to land and are sharing the tarpaulin with my slowworms O-> O+> |
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Baby Sue Senior Member Joined: 19 Feb 2008 No. of posts: 412  View other posts by Baby Sue |
Posted: 23 Oct 2008 Although they're a bit freaky I wish I had some slow worms.  I wanted presents from lots of you. Snot fair that Ben Rigsby was the only one to send me Xmas & birthday presents.
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dave fixx Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 No. of posts: 319 View other posts by dave fixx |
Posted: 02 Jul 2009 resurecting this old topic,I hadnt had much luck with the pond so far this year,one frog on valentines day! However with all my newt surveys for the year done and nearly all the ponds I visit practically devoid of newt life,my ponds have come alive! I first spotted a male smoothy comming up for air and since then have witnessed females egg laying (see photo).I have both palmate and smooth males so not sure if both have bred but I dont care!.At least five frogs were also using one of the ponds today 
Dave Williams davewilliamsphotography.co.uk |
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