Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetheart
I have a "problem" with my pond. I used to have a large colony of frogs.
Last year they didn't come. This year it seems they are not coming. I live
in Cornwall - so no bad weather this year and having looked around I see
other people have frogs now.
I did have newts last summer. Not too many.
So I decided to take a look at what might be in the pond. I found one frog
( he/she seems to have gone now) one newt last night and a net full of
something I cant identify. I looks like a fish . Its about half an inch
long - some slightly smaller , greyish brown translucent .
I have no fish in the pond and never have. I have trawled the internet for
something like it to no avail. Any suggestions?
PS - I don't want any false trails but if I didn't know better I would
suggest baby sticklebacks but I don't have any fish in the pond, nor could
they have got in ( nearest river 2 miles away).
Also - anyone suggest what might have caused the demise of my pond since I I
seem to have lost everything in there?
Its smallish but I keep the area with long grass and a rockery for habitat
and only strim once a year. I have lilies and oxygenating plant and it looks
clearish , although it was full of stinking tree leaves until I set to last
year.
Any suggestions to a healthy pond ( and about my unidentified) would be
welcome
Thanks.
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Hi, it could be fish but its unlikely, as to be so small they would have to be this years fry and likely coarse fish havent spawned yet this year ! For the record (and since your in Cornwall) since the introduction of coarse fisheries, ducks, herons etc have quickly spread perch, whose eggs are very sticky !
So, we are left with either immature newts or damsel fly larvae which are much smaller than dragonfly larvae and thats what I think you've found !
Also, I notice that frogs in lots of ponds are now only just spawning, so dont give up just yet. As I thought might be the case (from an earlier post) the frogs which normally spawn on the first full moon of the year, knew it was going to stay mild, knew there was no rush to enter the water at their normal time and this year are incredibly late spawning !
Lannerman.