Pictures

Actual Baby Dragonfly

That other insect wasn't a baby dragonfly - it was a damselfly nymph. I saw an actual dragonfly nymph yesterday (three of them!) and then this morning, I saw the shell from when one climbed out and shed its skin and flew away! The difference is very obvious. This thing was about the length of the end of my pinky finger.

  

Eggs and More Eggs

This morning I got a load of new hyacinths from my pond exchange group and, as I was putting them into the pond, our huge orange dragonfly flew over and LAID EGGS. She flicked her tail in the water while flying, splashing and curling her tail down into the water next to the plants over and over. I looked it up and whaddyaknow, that's how they lay eggs.

I think she approves of the new plants. Adult dragonflies only live a few months so I sure hope her babies approve of the plants too. I need to see what the eggs look like so I can move some to the spa nursery to keep the goldfish from eating them all.

And the snail I gave my sister might have laid eggs. Huge mass of dots in a squishy jelly. Might be eggs.

BABY DRAGONFLY! (update: damselfly)

We have a baby dragonfly damselfly in the spa / plant nursery! A BABY DRAGONFLY DAMSELFLY!
I am so excited. (and yes, I put it back in the water after finding out what it was)

Wildlife

There is a blue mayfly I've named Steve that hangs around the pond a lot, and today I saw a wasp (which is a regular visitor) carrying a droplet of water. Carrying a droplet of water. IT WAS CARRYING WATER. How rad is that?

There's also a jumping spider on the impromptu basking dock and the enormous, dark-colored dragonfly was back today. I love my pond.

Mosquitofish

The guy from the health department said he is going to come by tomorrow at 8:30 with my new fish. Just in time, too, because there are wee mosquitoes about to go rogue.

These fish are apparently tiny, give live birth, and can eat over 150% of their body weight in mosquito larvae a day. A DAY.

I hope Timmy doesn't eat all of them.

Video of Today

Today's pond time was so great! This video sums up why - it involves the fish and toes.

Dragonflies

Last night and this morning, I have seen the biggest dragonflies hovering around the pond. I don't mean, "Oh, that's a big dragonfly." I mean, "This thing is as long as the palm of my hand and looks dangerous!"

There was one bright orange one, one blue one, and a silver one this morning. They are so, so lovely.

I need to add in some perching sticks for them so they'll stick around and eat the mosquito babies that just came out of the water. I don't get how the fish missed those but I suppose with only 13 fish they can't cover the whole pool so some got through. Now with 50+ fish, I'm hoping they'll do the job better.

I do love those fish. They are getting so big - the originals I put in there that were only about an inch and a half long have now doubled in size. How cool is that?! Timmy hasn't eaten them all for once.