Hot weather has arrived, and the pond is hopping with life. The first generation of wood frogs has left in an secret mass exodus. After watching the tadpoles develop at a snail's pace during the long, cool spring, we were taken by surprise when one day we found the pond nearly empty. Apparently the heat accelerated their growth, and they took off on brand new legs.
The next generation isn't far behind. It's most likely made up of more wood frogs and possibly toads. We have also observed baby crawdads (that's crayfish to city dwellers), back swimmers, and water striders. A male whitetail skimmer has apparently chosen the pond as his territory.
A moment of excitement came when the first green frog was sighted. We had been hearing their call, but had yet to actually see one. A green heron and some migrating sandpipers also visited, as did a juvenile snapping turtle rescued from the nearby horse pasture. It was a short visit, but we're optimistic about future turtle sghtings.
One good thing about having a pond is that it gives the clouds a silver lining. We get tired of all the rain, but it fills the ponds and keeps wildlife happy.
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