Wisconsin Pond Build

[callingcolleen1]

Your pond looks pretty good considering the time of the year, and I think lots of the algae will go away once you get the pumps running. Nice pictures of the spring runoff, looks like that water was moving real fast too. I have not got too many bulbs up yet, just a few of the real early spring bulbs, and they should be OK.

 

[j.w]

herz you could try sprinkling some blood meal around certain plants that the rabbits are bothering. Our radio garden guy here says they don't like the smell of blood and it can keep them away from those plants. You will prolly have to reapply after any rains and your plants will love it also. Just be careful as it is animal blood and you don't want to breath it and use gloves too. You don't want to get mad cow disease from it. Course if you have pets or kids in that area you have to be careful there also. Maybe its time to build the bunnies a garden of their own w/some of the stuff they really love...............course then you will just get more bunnies and more and more and more. Darn bunnies trying to mess w/ your backyard creations of beauty!

 

[addy1]

We have tons of bunnies, but also tons of plants, never notice whatever damage they do.

 

[herzausstahl]

Lol yeah JW with both kids & lots that come over to play, my better option is to seal off the garden. Going to redo the pickets on my fence & make it a privacy, then stake chicken wire along the neighbors partition to keep them from getting in.

Addy I wish that we're true, but several of my evergreens & other shrubs have been eaten down to almost nothing.

On the bright side I saw bubbles rising in the middle of the pond tonight so I know the line unfroze & it is still working. On the down side gonna be colder the next few days with rain over the next few days changing to snow Thursday night, probably with freezing in there for good measure, it's the winter that won't end!

 

[j.w]

Remember bunnies can dig so you might have to put some kind of barrier down below ground like this suggested from the web:

Barrier fencing. Constructing a simple wire fence around the part of the garden containing vegetables and other highly rabbit-vulnerable plants is an almost foolproof method for protecting plants from rabbits. Cottontails will not jump a 2-foot-high fence. Jackrabbits can jump higher if they are being chased by dogs or otherwise frightened, so
extending the height of the fence to at least 3 feet is warranted where jackrabbits are present.

A 30- to 36-inch-high fence constructed from woven wire with a mesh no larger than 1 inch is recommended for excluding rabbits. The lower end of the wire mesh should be turned outward at a 90-degree angle and buried 6 inches in the ground to discourage rabbits from digging under the fence. Regular 20-gauge poultry netting supported by stakes can provide protection from rabbits for three to five years and is inexpensive to replace. Welded wire will provide protection for longer periods.

Good luck herz!

 

[herzausstahl]

Thanks JW, but I usually don't have too much of a problem with them during the summer, mostly just winter when the wont be able to dig underneath it then. But I will have to put some chicken wire above the 3' section of fence so when it snows & the drifts reach the top of the fence they would be able to run over the top.

Had snow last week:


It finally melted after a few days. I've seen robins, red winged black birds, & purple martins. It's great to see spring birds back, here's a bunch in the yard:



But after a couple 50 degree days we are still just above freezing at night and a high of 38 or so this Friday with a few inches of snow.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Poppy and Bear said they would gladly come help out with the bunnies but you live too far, so they asked if you could "mail order" bad bunnies as soon as possible...

 

[herzausstahl]

Lol not to worry Colleen, someone I work with already told me I could bring them over to their house for supper. looks like this week we may finally be warming up! Can't wait! Also we hardly got any snow on Friday & any we did get already melted.

 

[addy1]

My pond went from 68 to 55 poor fish, back to being cold

 

[callingcolleen1]

This is a very late cold spring for us this year.... wish I had some nice warm weather.....

 

[j.w]

I'm sitting here freezing to death too! I'm gonna make myself a warm fuzzy lined bunny nest and crawl in ...................maybe some nice bunny will join me and keep me warm till warmer weather arrives

 

[CountryEscape]

The barn swallows appeared here yesterday, and I use that as my official first day of spring! They are such wonderful birds. I love how they follow me when I mow, swooping down and snatching up bugs that I stir up while mowing. They eat tons of mosquitos, so I'm always happy to make sure their nesting sites (on the ceiling joist edges in the barn) are free from anything below, so the barn cats cannot get to them. I started out with 3 pair the first spring, then 6 pair the next, and I'm not sure how many last year. I hope they keep multiplying!
My cousin was at my house last summer, saw the swallows swoop into the yard. He asked, "What are those? They are always attacking me when I mow, and I'm not sure why." Once I explained to him what they were doing, he smiled and said, "Oh, then I don't have to be afraid, I need to welcome them?" Yep, they are wonderful birds. They do figure 8's around me while I'm mowing, so I can sure understand why people would think they were attacking.
Hoping you northerners start getting some warmer weather soon, as spring is my favorite season of the year. My pond was 60 two weekends ago, but down to 50 when I got home last Sunday. Fish staying at the bottom again. My one for sure female is very plump with eggs. Hoping we have warm weather soon so she can spawn, but lilies are not quite large enough for the babies to hide in, so hoping she waits a while. I need to put a mop in there for her to spawn on ... may drop in one of my floating nets.

 

[j.w]

Hey CE you must be home from AZ now. Welcome back! Funny you mention your swallows are back. I just noticed ours today swooping the yard. I love to watch them fly like fighter jets. Our weather was very nice today and will be for the whole week, maybe even up to 70. Hope you get some neat babies from your mama's this year!

 

[herzausstahl]

Got the stream up & running.


Filter falls not going yet since I am making changes, so I rigged this up last week after finding a goldfish floating, think it was a lack of oxygen.


Also plumbed the "gorge" feature into the main pump.


Also here's new rabbit deterring fence


Fish enjoying warm weather

 

[callingcolleen1]

I love your long stream, and I want to get busy this weekend and make a little one out in the front pond for all the birds to bath in. mine won't be as big or long as yours but it will look good when I am done. I need to get more small rocks .....

Fish are out and about too here, swimming around now that the weather is warming up. I had some algae last month but now it is starting to go away with the big new pump and additional filters. Now that your stream is up and running the fish must be very happy!