The beautiful diversity of wildlife ponds

A wildlife pond is one of the best things we can have in our gardens. I have four wildlife ponds in my garden, and they are always brimming full with wildlife.

So, do you have a wildlife pond, or would you like to grab your spade and dig one?

Of course, a pond can be built at any time of the year but there is a best time. And, the optimum time is Autumn or late Winter. Time to make plans perhaps.

Chiefly, the timing allows the pond to establish faster. Consequently, by the spring the pond is established enough to attract all the wildlife in their droves.

I have chosen a few photos of my ponds and some of the wildlife that visits. In addition to my ponds, I have included the Chief Gardener’s new wildlife pond.

You may remember him from some earlier posts. Links below if you need a recap or have not seen them before.

A powerful gardening for wellbeing story

The Chief Gardener’s beautiful vegetables

The Chief Gardener grows a tasty fruit feast

Right, let us dive into some wildlife ponds. Well, not literally!

Diving into the wildlife ponds

My first photo shows my largest wildlife pond which was dug out over twenty years ago. Clearly, a well established pond, and my favourite out of the four.

I sited this pond at the bottom of the garden to allow the wildlife to be undisturbed.

Certainly, the size I marked out became a mammoth task with the spades. However, it was well worth the effort when the wildlife arrived to take up residence. Or, to use the pond as a place for a bathe or a drink.

Once finished, the newts soon came along to use the pond in the first summer. Plenty of breeding went on and masses of tadpoles were born. Later, the tadpoles became elf’s when the lungs developed.

However, unlike the newts, the frogs would visit briefly but never spawn in this pond.

I found a tiny pond in the garden when we first moved to the cottage and the frogs had made that one their compact and bijou home for spawning.

So, the next task was to dig out another pond next to the tiny pond to give the frogs a larger area to spawn.

Wildlife ponds for frogs

Next, we have my second wildlife pond which is smaller than pond number one.

Another established pond that was dug out after the big one was finished. Consequently, the frogs hopped out of their compact and bijou pond and made this one their new home.

As you can see in the photo above, this pond is fully utilised for spawning. I have seen upwards of forty frogs in this pond at spawning time. A fabulous sight to see.

I have read that frog sightings have declined in the past four years overall. And, I understand this is mainly due to a loss of breeding habitat.

Clearly, the more wildlife ponds we have in our gardens, the better.

In addition, frogs are keen on munching slugs, and as slugs are keen on munching our plants, the frogs are very helpful creatures to attract to our gardens.

Naturally, my lovely rescue chickens deal with most slugs in my garden, but I am very happy for the frogs to have their share of those slimy critters too.

As I am a jolly keen Dahlia Queen, and the slugs favourite snack is a dahlia, the more slug munchers I can attract the better!

Wildlife ponds for newts

For my next photo, I have some of the smooth newts that visit my largest wildlife pond. I only have smooth newts, not the rarer great crested type.

However, I am thrilled to see these lovely newts in the pond. They visit between March and June each year to breed, which is a fabulous sight to see.

During the breeding season, males have a wavy crest along their backs. My photo shows a male with his courting coat on, displaying to a female. How impressed she looks!

I usually see around twenty newts breeding each year in my top pond, and more in the other ponds too.

Grass snakes have also been seen around the ponds, but they are less keen on staying still whilst I get a photo to share.

Having ponds and watching the wildlife brings such a boost to wellbeing, I find.

The Chief Gardener’s wildlife pond

My next photo is a wildlife pond that my dear friend, the Chief Gardener made last year. He wanted a pond that would be ideal for wildlife and not an ornamental pond.

In addition, he hoped to attract the largest range of wildlife possible.

With this in mind, he dug out a pond with sloping sides and added some rocks and stones to allow the wildlife to leave the pond with ease.

Furthermore, he left some long grass around the sides of the pond for wildlife to shelter in. And he also grew some grass from seed, which has now become two clumps at the rear of the pond. Ideal for sheltering wildlife and a great habitat too.

Also, placing stones, logs and plants around the edges created habitats for pond-visiting creatures.

As a result of all his hard work, the wildlife came, jolly quickly indeed.

The Chief Gardener managed to attract some toads, and they spawned in the pond. How fabulous is that?

And how jealous am I? I have had a resident toad over the years, but never any toad spawn.

What a fabulous result for a new wildlife pond. Well done lovely Chief Gardener.

Making a wildlife pond

I hope that if you have room, you will consider having a pond for wildlife.

My photo shows a fantastic Hawker dragonfly in my garden. After flitting around the ponds, this one had a rest in the sunshine on a cosmos flower.

I also have the light blue Broad Bodied Chaser dragonflies breeding in my ponds which is fabulous.

My ponds are a reasonable size, however, even the smallest pond will benefit wildlife.

I have given a link below for some options for pond liners and preformed ponds if you are interested.

https://amzn.to/42dCoNe

I have seen washing up bowls used as tiny ponds and provided there are some stones or rocks added to allow creatures to get in and out, these are good.

Of course, even the smallest ponds provide water for a bird to drink or bathe.

However, the depth needs to be at least sixty centimetres deep if possible, for the best habitat for all wildlife.

In addition, the pond is best sited in a sunny area if possible.

I hope you are keen to get planning for a pond. You may be lucky enough to have hedgehogs visiting and having a drink from your pond, along with the birds drinking and bathing.

In addition, if you have some pond plants that flower around the pond edges, the pollinators can get a feed as well.

RSPB Big Garden Count

Returning to the subject of birds using wildlife ponds for drinking and bathing, there is a bird count starting tomorrow that you may be interested in.

I hope you will consider joining in the Big Garden Count which runs from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th January.

You will need to choose a one hour slot on one of the days, and record the highest number of species you see at any one time.

Across the UK, over half a million people took part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2023, counting a whopping 9.1 million birds!

Details below if you would like to join in.

Big Garden Birdwatch (rspb.org.uk)

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will join me on the next one. My next post will be full of colourful flowers and plans for the summer.

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