Pond 2 in the Country Park has now completely dried up, the Newts that were in there a few months ago trying to breed have vacated, there wasn't enough (any) vegetation in or around the pond for them to be able to deposit any eggs, but they will be back again next year to try again.
This pond has become somewhat of a black puddle after being a successful pond, so we took a few moments to snip out some of the smaller overhanging branches and foliage to allow sunlight back down to the surface. the pond has also become heavily silted over time so I dug out some of the silt and placed it around the banks ready for the plant life to colonise and so any bugs still in there could find there way back into the mud.
Although it seems pretty devoid of life. Seasonal ponds can be host to a number of species that thrive on the seasonal cycles of wet and dry in a pond that completely dries in the summer so its important not to alter the habitat too drastically. We do have numerous seasonal ponds or boggy habitat between the two ponds, these completely dry out in the summer so wildlife that thrives in seasonal ponds are well catered for.
By allowing the sunlight to reach the pond again hopefully some grasses or water mint may grow around the perimeter that will then overhang the pond allowing the newts to breed. and by removing some of the silt from the middle of the pond hopefully it will hold some water just a little bit longer into the summer.
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