When we first moved out here, the pond was dead except for frogs. There were no fish, and as a result, we received very few visits from wild birds. I guess we're doing something right, since we're getting a lot of visits from wild birds now. It looks like wood ducks have taken up residence somewhere close, because they visit the pond daily. And I often see them fly over to the creek or roost in the trees around the pond. Maybe we'll see some babies this year? I can always hope! This picture shows three males on the left side and two females on the right.
Today we had a visit from a female bufflehead, which is a duck, according to our
Birds of Illinois book. She was apparently diving for invertebrates in our pond. I guess she liked what she was getting because she stuck around for a good portion of the day. She won't be around long though, because they only migrate through our area during the spring and fall. Maybe she'll stop by again on her way south in six months?
When we first moved out here, the pond was dead except for frogs. There were no fish, and as a result, we received very few visits from wild birds. I guess we're doing something right, since we're getting a lot of visits from wild birds now. It looks like wood ducks have taken up residence somewhere close, because they visit the pond daily. And I often see them fly over to the creek or roost in the trees around the pond. Maybe we'll see some babies this year? I can always hope! This picture shows three males on the left side and two females on the right.
Today we had a visit from a female bufflehead, which is a duck, according to our Birds of Illinois book. She was apparently diving for invertebrates in our pond. I guess she liked what she was getting because she stuck around for a good portion of the day. She won't be around long though, because they only migrate through our area during the spring and fall. Maybe she'll stop by again on her way south in six months?
6 comments:
Thanks for the recent comment on my blog--I think what you're doing is great.
Where is your farm?
Ever heard of Cornell? Probably not. We're 45 minutes from the intersection of I-55 and I-80, so not too terribly far from civilization.
Sorry -- just realized you're from down south. I'm in Illinois.
I am hoping for a pond someday. Thanks for the neat pictures, I'm sure that watching the ducks is great fun. Is the pond alot of work?
A pond this size is no work at all. Mother Nature takes care of everything. Between the fish, birds, plants, frogs, and other life, it's a successful ecosystem. Oh, right, we do need to have an aerator. The ducks can't eat all the algae. But the aerator is not work. Just plug it in, and it does everything. I've heard small ponds are a lot more work.
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