Wildlife in a Garden Pond.

by Richard Revels FRPS

For those Nature Group members who do not have a garden pond or easy access to a small pond, you are missing out on a fascinating world of nature pictures. When I moved to my current home in the mid 1980’s making a garden pond was one of my first projects. Although it is not a large pond, over the years it has provided me with plenty of aquatic wildlife pictures ranging from frogs and dragonflies on or above the surface, to the many creatures that live underwater. Pond dipping will reveal a range of different creatures that live there unseen, but remember if you put a mixed pond dipping catch in a container the numbers will diminish quickly, as just about everything will be trying to eat anything smaller than its-self.

It is amazing how rapidly wildlife moves into a pond. Frogs and Smooth Newts were breeding there in the spring, and a bit of pond dipping revealed the wealth of underwater bugs, beetles and other creatures that had also taken up residence. Waterweeds from a friend’s pond undoubtedly bought in some creatures including the water snails, while winged insects such as the dragon and damselflies, bugs and beetles just fly in. As this was to be a wildlife pond, fish were not introduced, as they seriously reduce the wildlife value of a pond.

My first pond is in a rather shaded position and did not bring in as many breeding dragon and damselflies as I had hoped, so early last spring I decided to create another slightly larger pond further down my garden in a more open situation. This pond was designed with photography in mind, allowing access with a camera from all sides. Waterweeds from my original pond were put into the new pond and this would have introduced some water creatures, but that was the extent of any introductions, the rest would have to find their own way there. So far this year I have seen the Large Red and Azure Damselflies, and Broad-bodied Chaser and Common Darter Dragonflies egg laying in the pond. Perhaps a little disappointing that more have not started breeding there yet, but there has been several other dragonfly species patrolling around my garden, so maybe there is time to add another breeding species to the list before the 2009 summer ends.

Over the years I have taken hundreds of pictures of creatures from my garden pond, many of which have been reproduced in books and magazines, but besides being a source for aquatic wildlife pictures for my Photo Library, a pond will benefit a range of local wildlife. Birds bathe in and drink from them, and many other creatures will visit them, but please ensure that there is an easy escape route for any hedgehog or other wildlife that falls in. I have several concrete slabs leading into the pond that allow an easy means of entry and escape, and birds frequently use these slabs to bathe on. Also remember that small children can drown in quite shallow ponds, so a fence to keep toddlers away may be needed. You have been warned!

Although my own garden ponds are used for most of my aquatic pictures, I will also visit any other pond that offers the possibility of pictures. Several friends let me visit their ponds for a photo shoot, and a recent visit to the Redgrave and Lopham NR saw me on my knees in the mud around the small ponds that contain the rare Fen Raft Spiders, and I was rewarded with some nice pictures. In such places you mustn’t mind getting a bit muddy if you want the pictures! Even if you don’t have space to have your own pond, perhaps you will have an opportunity to do some pond photography somewhere next year.

 

Equipment

No special equipment is needed for photographing pond wildlife. For the frogs, dragonflies and damselflies I use either a 300mm lens, usually with an extension tube fitted to enable closer focusing, or a 180mm Macro lens. However a good quality medium to long zoom lens should do the job just as well.

           

To photograph the underwater creatures an aquarium will be needed. Aquariums are inexpensive and available from most pet shops and fish centres. I have several of different sizes, the larger ones I have purchased ready made, while the smaller ones I tailor make myself, cutting glass to whatever size I want and using a glass-bonding adhesive that is available from DIY stores to glue them together. I divide the larger aquariums into two sections with a pane of glass separating the front inch or two from the rest. In the front section will be small amount of well washed waterweed and the subject I want to photograph, while the main body of the aquarium will hold more waterweed, with a natural looking backdrop placed just behind the aquarium. It’s best to leave a freshly filled aquarium for a few days before a photo shoot to enable the air bubbles to disperse. It is wise to have a holding aquarium or other container for creatures that are in line for the photo shoot. I return the various water creatures’ back to the pond soon after I have finished photographing them. Remember, they will need feeding if you keep them from the pond for several days .

For lighting I mostly use two flash units mounted on stands, one from each side and pointing down. This avoids reflections from the flash showing up on the aquarium front. My camera fitted with 100mm Macro lens is mounted on a tripod with the end of the lens poking through a hole in a matte black sheet of thin card. This reduces the risk of getting reflections showing up on the front of the aquarium, and spoiling the picture. One of the advantages of using a digital camera is that you can do a trial shot and immediately see the results. This enables me to correct any lighting or other problems strait away.

           

Winter is the ideal time to construct a new pond, so if you have space available why not get out your spade and start digging. You will, I am sure, be pleasantly surprised with the wildlife that visits a garden pond, and one of the big advantages will be that its only a few paces away from your back door.

Since becoming a member of the RPS A & F Nature Distinctions Panel, I cannot remember ever seeing a panel of pond life pictures. There is plenty of scope to get a Distinction with a series of pond life pictures, and it would make a pleasant change from seeing yet another set of bird pictures that now seem to make up around 90% of the submissions. So if you are looking for a new challenge or a theme for your Distinction attempt, take a serious look at what’s in your local pond, or better still, create one of your own in your garden.