My goldfish pond

[callingcolleen1]

It is hard to get close to a dragonfly sometimes cause they rarely stop to rest. That day the dragonfly was resting on a garden stake, eating some big bug, and I had got a really good look close up at itl. Most of the time they are flying very fast, darting back and forth, threw the air. When you see them zig zag into the air they are catching small bugs and eating them while flying. If they get a bigger bug, then they have to stop to eat it. Each time they take a sharp turn and zig zag, they are really catching a bug at each sharp turn, you will then see how very many bugs they each each minute!

 

[Brice]

You have a nice small pond.. did you build this yourself? anyhow but I think there are many thing need in this pond to make it more beautiful... like the plants in the pool and also need some water toys..then you should add some lights. I hope you understand what I am trying to say.

 

[addy1]

If/when you move the fish, Addy, maybe put them in a glass aquarium and take some pics before putting them into the Shubie tank! They sure sound lovely.
Colleen, I have never look that close at a dragonfly, but now I'm going to have to get a close up pic that I can really zoom in and see what their face details look like! I like them, too. Wish I had bats, that would make daytime and nighttime bug predators in my yard!

I love dragon flies, we have tons, beautiful colors. They sure do dart around grabbing bugs, the net over the pond has become their favorite resting spot. I have not seen one mosquito this summer, I think they are the dragon flies fav food!

I have to move them CE they are in a very shallow, no insulation, deck pond. If we have a cold winter they will all croak. One of the parents hid from me when I moved them last year, managed to survive, we got cold, the water froze but then it melted. The second parent was a tiny shubbie I picked up from petsmart at the beginning of the summer. The pond gets full hot sun even in winter, so the ice melts fast, but we could get an extended cold where it wouldn't. I would not want to take a chance with a bunch of fish in the pond.

 

[CountryEscape]

Yep, totally understand, Addy, I would move them, too! You can always add one or two from your Shubie tank next spring. But, I would love to see them before you move them to the big tank, that's why I mentioned putting them in a glad container or aquarium just to take some pics before you move them, is what I meant. :blueflower:

 

[CometKeith]

Well, if you are squeamish don't look at this photos. I took them yesterday. My wife and I decided to have lunch by the pond and after a while I noticed one of the frogs sitting there with what looked like a stick or something in his mouth. It looks like we might be getting rid of the welcome frogs sign!

 

[gardengirl]

What is it? I can tell it has a leg and maybe tailfeather?

 

[CountryEscape]

Looks like a grasshopper to me, but must be either a tadpole or maybe fish, or Keith surely would not have said he was getting rid of the welcome sign! Hmm ... I can't tell for sure either. Fill us in, Keith! What was that big guy eating?

 

[j.w]

Sheesh it almost looks like a chipmunk, but a frog could not eat something that big, could it and could never catch it...........do I see a leg and a tail, ok went and re-looked and think it is a poor little birdie?

 

[CometKeith]

yup, It was a poor little birdie. :frown: The frog appeared to be eating the whole bird because there was a lot less hanging out of his mouth as time went on. We have nests of yellow finches and sparrows right behind the pond. It seemed a little hard to believe that this small frog could eat a bird almost as big as itself and would be able to catch it as well. :dunno: I looked at the pond this morning. There was another dead bird similar size and shape floating in the water and I found the first bird by where I took the picture. Very little of it was missing. So I am thinking the birds died on their own and the frog tried eating it. They recently sprayed for mosquitoes here. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what killed the birds because I also found a dead robin next to our house recently that looked like it was in good condition before it died. I know for a fact the spraying last year killed my tadpoles so who knows what else it is affecting. :question:


Addie, I'd like to see a picture of your shubunkins too. I'm still thinking I got a few fish eggs when you sent me the plants last year and I'd like to see if I have any cousins to your shubbies.

 

[addy1]

I will photo them for you all put them in something I can take pictures of them. Some are sure pretty.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Keith, who sprayed for mosquitoes? The City? Most cities here use a more natural spray that just stops the bugs from hatching and does not harm the birds. My guess is that the city found lots of west Nile virius and then sprayed, and that the birds may have in fact died from west Nile. I would call the city and notify them of the dead birds and inquire about the spray. All dead birds here are picked up by the city of Medicine Hat and then sent away for testing.

The frog was just scavaging for free lunch and may have bit off more than he can chew, ha ha ha...

 

[CountryEscape]

Keith, with my fish dying in the goldfish pond, I'm thinking the problem was the fungicide that was sprayed on the corn fields that literally surround my property. Keep in mind I have 6 acres, and my property is a rectangle, but my house and yard are at one end of the rectangle. I read the chemical that was sprayed by plane should not be sprayed within 100' of any water source or runoff area. That was not the problem, as have not had any rain to make runoff since then, except one quick storm last weekend, but no runoff goes into my ponds in any way. I also now wonder if the dying of all of my petunias was because of this fungicide. They have all been dying slowly in the last month, and it's not because of lack of water or fertilizer. Just wondering .... Next year, the farmer will call me before spraying anything on the fields by plane, and I will cover the ponds, and maybe the potted plants, or half of the potted plants, and see if there is any difference. I know there is a chemical that is used to kill flukes in koi, that is DEADLY in goldfish, and pointing the blame to something of that nature. Not going to tell anyone to do anything differently, but AM going to ask to be notified in the future, to keep my goldfish from dying!
It would be nice if you knew ahead of time when they would be spraying for mosquitos, so you could cover your pond as well. I know in towns here, they spray once a month. This is all very upsetting to me, chemicals killing our fish and wildlife, but we don't want mosquitos or fungus killing crops. Not sure what the happy medium is!

 

[callingcolleen1]

CE when the plane sprayed the chemical it probally drifted into your area, as I am sure it mostly likely did, as spraying by plane from the air is not precise either, so don't beat yourself up, not your fault and things happen to all of us, at some point or another....

 

[CountryEscape]

Yep, and I read on the label not to be sprayed within 100'. Well, from pond, to deck, over house, across road to corn was maybe 120'. From pond to across side yard to corn was maybe 130'!!! So, yeah, I'm certain it drifted. It said on label not to have heavy rain for 48 hours, which there was not. And, I'm not concerned about runoff, as my ponds are all 6" or more above ground level, no run off can get into the ponds or stream. I'll be reworking the stream to raise the sides when the plant life dies down. It's completely covered in parrots feather, which is pretty, but you cannot even see there is water in there! LOL Going to raise the outflow of the stream, too, for more "splash" into goldfish pond.

 

[CometKeith]

Colleen, yup it was probably a good idea to report the dead bird. They are asking people to do that. It's interesting what the spraying actually does. http://www.nsmad.com/protecting-our-community/how-we-protect/larval-control/
CE, that's something you really have to watch now. Personally I don't like all the spraying but it's hard to stop it.