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| They didn't actually come in the wheelbarrow, but that seemed to be the best way to get the box from the delivery point to the pond! |
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| They arrived in 2 bags - one with 20 goldfish and 20 rudd, the other containing 20 sticklebacks. Pond wouldn't be right without sticklebacks! |
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| Fish seem healthy and settling in well. |
All photos curtesy of my wife Sandra. Mainly because she had her camera with her so she could take her own photos...
Great photos and lovely visitors / arrivals.
ReplyDeleteAlan
Yes, I think we've recorded about 26-27 bird species that have landed in our garden over the past few months.
DeleteSticklebacks! As a child they always seemed* to be in every net I dipped into a stream, sadly so much rarer these days.
ReplyDelete* I say, 'seemed', as I suspect my memories are a little rose-tinted.
ReplyDeleteI have the same memories. I remember going to Saltwell Park in Gateshead as a kid - lots of sticklebacks all over the place. Went back there a few years ago - nothing. The lake was a total wasteland.
DeleteThe pond is a great project - you'll get a lot of pleasure and interest out of that. My compliments. Since I am by nature miserable, I have to tell a brief tale of the possible risks of changing local ecological balance...
ReplyDeleteAbout 20 years ago, a rather wealthy relative of mine spent a great deal of time and love on installing a marvellous pond in his garden (in Hampshire), complete with miniature waterfalls and all the business. He was unlucky - within a mile of his house there was a wildlife park, and in less than a week the herons from the park had eaten all the very expensive Japanese carp he had populated the pond with. He was very upset - understandably. Moral is to make sure you don't get visitors you weren't expecting!
Lost fish to herons in our garden before - they are one of the recorded landed species. Went down to the dyke at the bottom of the garden a few months ago and Sandra nearly stood on one hiding in the reeds! We've got 2 plastic herons standing guard, if they don't will have to cover part of it with a net!
DeleteI didn't comment on the birds before because I hadn't seen the Chaffinch - again in my youth you couldn't look out into the garden without seeing one, not seen one here for several decades. I was even excited to see a thrush a fortnight ago as I'd not seen one for years.
ReplyDeleteSet against that we do get plenty of Swifts, Red Kites and Rose/Ring-necked Parakeets.
Our son Steven gets parakeets on his bird feeders in Croydon - would love to get that here though most farmers probably don't like the idea! Don't get many thrushes these days - used to, just don't anymore. Swallows rather than swifts, buzzards rather than red kites - though get the odd red kite as well. Lots of sparrows and starlings. Plus goldfinches, collared doves, wood pigeons, long tailed, blue and great tits, yellowhammers, pheasants, partridges, etc, etc.... quite a lot really.
ReplyDeleteThis pond affair is turning out rather well by the looks and sounds of it. I had to look up Sticklebacks, apparently they live over hear to but I don't recall ever seeing or hearing of them. (which doesn't mean much to be honest).
ReplyDeleteWe have 3 types of stickleback in the UK 3, 10 and 15 spined. 10 spined is pretty rare, think the 15 spined is purely saltwater and estuaries, but the 3 spined - well, remember a bombed out site in the late 50s, rooms down to a brick or two high and many with 3-4" water in - as I recall, every one of those' ponds' had sticklbacks in.
DeleteThe pond is great for sitting next to in summer, less good for getting down to wargames activities!