With some significant rain over recent days, the pond is filling up nicely. Probably only another 100 – 150mm to go before it can be considered ‘full’.
(The crescent shape of smooth water nearest the camera is a thin layer of ice.)
It’s been a very dry March and the pond is now almost empty, with just a small puddle at the far side. There’s some rain forecast in the next few days so it will be interesting to see if that’s enough to create some standing water again.
As outlined in a previous post, there’s been a plan to install a large wildlife pond – primarily intended for Great Crested Newts but other wildlife will also benefit from it – especially insects, which in turn are good for swallows, bats etc. The work got roughly scheduled for October 2024 and actually went ahead over 3 days: 9th – 11th October.
One criterion for the site being eligible for the District Level Licensing funding was that it should have clay subsoil which will hold water without needing a liner. The indications from an initial auger test were positive and wider excavation confirmed the presence of a good layer of clay over most of the area of the pond, which was then used to ‘patch’ the remainder of it.
The finished pond is deliberately a little ‘messy’ to encourage the natural regeneration of the site and the growth of water plants – as well as grass and wildflowers above the waterline.
The expectation is that the pond will naturally fill with rainwater over the winter. The team from Wildscapes will check it in January to ensure the clay is holding water (and will repair it by ‘puddling’ the clay if required).