Not Maintenance Free
Return of an old friend
It is fair to admit, however, that ponds are not hasslefree and do require some periodic maintenance. It is often said that if you do nothing to a pond or wetland, it will eventually become oak woodland. In the case of our garden pond, the submerged and marginal vegetation had indeed increased over the years, and albeit imperceptibly - the area of open water had become significantly smaller.
I particularly enjoyed this year's 'Springwatch' and watched Iolo and his friends inspire people to appreciate nature on their doorstep. Presenters like Iolo Williams and Chris Packham often assert that a pond is one of the best single features to attract wildlife. I would not argue against them. We created our first pond in 1988 when the children were young; and within an hour of starting to fill it, we were amazed to see a Common Backswimmer (Notonecta glauca) apparently fall out of the sky and into our expanding pool of water. Later that day, as we proudly admired our newly-filled pond in the
From a dragonfly perspective, the Odonata species mix also changes as the characteristics of the pond change. A few years ago, I realised that I was no longer getting visits from the Broad bodied chaser, let alone seeing it breed there. The species is known to prefer and colonise new or relatively un-vegetated ponds; but as a pond ages, other dragonfly species appear to fare better. In the winter of 2018, we decided to remove much of the vegetation in the water and also around the edges. In this way, we restored the pond to its original size and increased the amount of open water compared to vegetation.
This year, we have noticed that the Broad bodied chaser is back – both males and females visiting regularly and egg laying taking place - just as I remembered when we first created the pond, and just as the textbooks would have predicted. I have enjoyed turning the clock back! Bob Dennison, Radnorshire Vice County Dragonfly Recorder
A Broad-bodied chaser (male) started a 30 year interest in dragonflies. Nick Talbott, BBC sunshine, a handsome male Broad bodied chaser (Libellula depressa) came to rest at the water’s edge. This was the first time I had had such a good view of any dragonfly and it started an interest that has lasted more than 30 years! That pond, and others that we have subsequently created, proved to be natural magnets, attracting all kinds of wildlife all year round - a constant source of interest for all ages.
Broad-bodied chaser (female). An old friend returns. Jane Ricketts Hein 23
