Our Sebastopol, California Pond's 21st year - 2016
Kathy's Bigsnest Wildlife Pond Diary



Winter 2016


January:
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We hadn't had a frost yet, so the pond still had some green growth above the waterline.
Below the pond image are some thumbnails of details that I really love about our 21-yr-old pond. Click on them to open an enlarged view.

The waterfall. The Redtwig Dogwood we've allowed to become a forest, the pond from the back, and the moss and roots that have totally naturalized the waterfall.
Our first pond visitor (that we noticed anyway) was this lovely Hermit Thrush.
Although it is a drab bird in some ways, it looked so gorgeous against the green moss around the pond
so I hope you'll click on the image to see the whole view.
It seems that sometimes the drabbest birds have the most beautiful voice.
Although this one wasn't singing as it was winter, they sing for us all summer at our McCloud home
so as I see it with my eyes, I hear it "in my mind"! Here's a link so you can here it too: Bird Song Link
. .

Other critters weren't visitors: while cleaning the pond I brought these up accidently. I took their pictures before returning them to the pond. In order of appearance, these critters who LIVE IN the pond and couldn't survive without it are 1. Dragonfly nymph 2. Mayfly nymph 3. Backswimmer beetle

If you have a pond, you need to be aware of who lives there. Always check your skimming net before discarding the debris as that's where these critters may live!


February:
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Still no frost by February 7th!! Still plant growth above the waterline!!
I recommend folks plant a tree or large shrub on the WEST side of their pond to shade it in the hottest part of the day, but, this Port Orford Cedar is on the EAST side of the pond, and as you could see in the top image on this 2016 pond page, it was growing out over the walkway and pond. Over the years we have trimmed it back multiple times. It was time to do so again! We were brought this tree as a sapling by my brother and we love it, but we do have to manage it.
The birds certainly didn't mind the more sunshine and here are images of House Finch and Pine Siskins. We don't get Siskins every year, so this was a treat. There's also a Dark-eyed Junco showing if you click on the images. The birds enjoy the cup shape of our waterfall boulder so much - their bathtub!!

By mid-February we had enuf cold weather that it was time to enter the pond and take out the dead matter before it decomposed and became more bottom muck. I've found that an inverted plastic garage can lid floats well and makes a great collection tub. When it's full, I call Dave over and float it to him to empty - always onto inverted wire over beach area so that critters can wiggle their way back into the pond, and then he floats it back too me. If I'm lucky he doesn't try to splash me with it!!
On the 13th we had a great sunset and I was FINALLY able to record it reflected in the pond, sort of!
The weather was actually pretty mild, (one of the wonders of California!!) so we were able to entertain guests outside....both human and avian - Northern Mockingbirds and a Band-tailed Pigeon.

Did you know that Band-tailed Pigeons can suck water up while other birds have to dip it into their beaks and then lift their heads so it can pour down their throats? It's true! We were delighted to see this one as they are a species in decline here in Calif.
February ended with green growth sill on the pond, no freeze yet and the Magnolia was blooming. Would we go all winter without a frost????


March:
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Without a big frost ever occurring, and even before Spring could officially begin, we had a Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) dragonfly emerge! This species has always been the most common on our pond, and indeed, it was even found in our yard prior to building the pond (there are a few near by ponds). This REALLY took as for surprise as it had POURED rain the night before (March 9) and as you can see, she is dripping wet. I used to think that this would ruin a dragonfly, but she was able to stay perched thru it all and eventually she dried off and opened her wings and flew off!!

It POURED again the nite of the 10th so we were amazed yet again to find another dragonfly had emerged - this on a California Darner (Rhionaeschna californica). It too was sopping wet, yet we witnessed it spread its wings and fly off...but then we found something even more amazing - another Calif. Darner was just starting to emerge and we were able record it's emergence where it transformed from an underwater creature breathing thru internal gills to a air breathing flying beauty!
It POURED again the nite of the 10th so we were amazed yet again to find another dragonfly had emerged - this on a California Darner (Rhionaeschna californica). It too was sopping wet, yet we witnessed it spread its wings and fly off...

....but then we found something even more amazing - another Calif. Darner was just starting to emerge. They usually start during the nite but this way we were able record it's emergence where it transformed from an underwater creature breathing thru internal gills to a air breathing flying beauty! We had to leave before it flew off though

At least, between the two darners, you can see almost all of the transformation....and look above to see the Darner nymph I scooped out of the pond in January, perhaps he's one of these two emergers!?!



Spring 2016

March (2):
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March starts in winter and ends in Spring. Yay!
Spring sprang forth already in full force with nary a freeze to slow her down!
In fact, it's hard to believe, but I found a newly emerged Cardinal Meadowhawk and a newly emerged damselfly soaking up the rays on our chaise lounge!! Here a female Cardinal Meadowhawk seems to be watching them!
The frogs were singing in the pond every night (sometimes I had to sleep with a pillow over my head!), but they rested during the day. I caught this one on the back of a Blue-flag Iris leaf.

Soon I found a male Western Forktail damselfly holding a territory on the Water Clover. That seemed to solve the mystery of 'who' the newly emerged damselfly was! Ischnura perparva is a common species in most of California, and identified by the two blue stripes atop his thorax.
We love finding the Dragonflies breeding in the pond. The images show how the male courts the female - he grabs her by the eyeballs!! The 2nd image shows the hold. Luckily, if he's the right species, this feels good to her - because it's up to the female dragonfly whether they will mate or not.


April:
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LOOK who showed up for April Fool's day!! NO FOOLIN'!! This is the 2nd time this pair of Mallards has showed up on April 1st!! Click on the image to be taken to the Spring 2016 images.

Click on the image to be taken to the Spring 2016 images.