I went out this morning to pick up the
mail. The mail box is down the street.
I had my mp3 player going. When I
crossed the street I looked up and a
huge heron flew overhead. I just stood
there and watched it. wow! Then I
realized I was standing in the middle of
the street, couldn't hear any traffic and
there was a distinct possibility of getting
squashed by a car. Now... do you suppose
that heron did it on purpose?
After he flew over the street he made a
quick right hand turn towards my pond.
I checked the pond after I got home and
he wasn't there.
Things that make you go ~ hmmmmm.
k :-)

kthirtya wrote:

After he flew over the street he made a
quick right hand turn towards my pond.
I checked the pond after I got home and
he wasn't there.

Did you check the fish as well? ;-)

Don't usually see too many herons round here but I guess this might
change once the pond goes in....certainly plenty around where there is
water. We get a lot of Red Kites round here these days - they have
recently been reintroduced to the area. I know these will take rabbits
and small rodents - guess I better check if they also go fishing....

I also have a tendency to gaze when I see birds such as herons or indeed
the red kites mentioned above. One of my thoughts when seeing a heron
sitting on a fence is how such a gawky creature can fly and hunt with
such grace? I try not to be driving or walking in the road when I have
such musings though :-)

Gill

It's amazing what you find out about our
backyard worlds once a pond goes in.

It's always fun to see what turns up on pond
boards 'what the heck is this?'

My favorite discovery were the rat-tail maggots,
infant droneflies, who breathe thru long telescoping
tails.

k :-)

kthirtya wrote:
It's amazing what you find out about our
backyard worlds once a pond goes in.

My main memory of the old pond and wildlife was how traumatic it was
cutting the grass once the tadpoles grew into frogs and left the pond
for pastures new......we get quite a bit of wildlife around here because
although technically it is in a suburb we have no houses backing onto us
and the houses across the road just back onto parkland....the road is
very busy though....it is not unusual to sit in the living room and see
wild foxes/deer and such like traversing the gardens of the houses
opposite.....our boundaries are quite securely fenced these days so we
don't get the foxes that much but do get less savoury visitors (just
don't mention rats unless you really want to send me on a tirade -
uuggghhhh)- wild rabbits are also quite common and we used to get a lot
of grass snakes - fortunately for us, over here, the only poisonous
snake other than the adder are any that have escaped from captivity....

We still get a number of dragon fly and such like because of the water
feature and the bog garden.....

One thing I used to love about the old pond was how it added to the
diversity in insect life....and also how the frogs populated it (don't
think ours are quite as noisy as yours).....it was great to take the
boys up to the pond and follow the life cycle from frog spawn, to
tadpole to baby frogs.....

Gill


It's always fun to see what turns up on pond
boards 'what the heck is this?'


Can't wait :-)

My favorite discovery were the rat-tail maggots,
infant droneflies, who breathe thru long telescoping
tails.

k :-)


Gill :-)

kthirtya wrote:

I went out this morning to pick up the
mail. The mail box is down the street.
I had my mp3 player going. When I
crossed the street I looked up and a
huge heron flew overhead. I just stood
there and watched it. wow! Then I
realized I was standing in the middle of
the street, couldn't hear any traffic and
there was a distinct possibility of getting
squashed by a car. Now... do you suppose
that heron did it on purpose?
After he flew over the street he made a
quick right hand turn towards my pond.
I checked the pond after I got home and
he wasn't there.
Things that make you go ~ hmmmmm.
k :-)


I was surprised the first time one showed up here....back yard is 70
x70,in a typical neighborhood in the middle of suburbia, pond is roughly
8 x 8 and can remember the first "shadow of a small plane" that dropped
in for a snack

Lar