Nature Study: Our One Year Pond Study Week 8 Admiring the Scenery

Welcome to week 8 of our one year pond study. For the rest of the posts in this series please see here.

This week we were going to revisit our tree study. I had lots of ideas and activities planned, but as we are finding out nature has a plan all of her own. We are merely spectators to all her glory and that is just what we ended up doing this week – observing the wonder of Creation. We stood in awe: spring had sprung upon the pond, abounding with enthusiasm, displaying with flourish an abundance of new gifts especially for our delectation. Please be patient with me. There are many photos. I hope you are as spell bound as we were.

The weather was glorious for our visit. There were many familiar faces:

One of the moor hens was nesting, whilst it's partner busily collected bits and pieces from around the pond, making many returns back to the nest. We tried to find it but it was very well concealed under lots of bramble — One of the moor hens was nesting, whilst it’s partner busily collected bits and pieces from around the pond, making many returns back to the nest. We tried to find it but it was very well concealed under lots of bramble

It's a terrapin! And it's sunbathing!! — It’s a terrapin! And it’s sunbathing!!

Then he went for a little swim to cool himself off

We had all just got over the excitement of the turtle when L10 shouted that I needed to take a photo of her trousers. Eh? It seemed an insect had landed on her and she wanted me to capture it on film. Loving my camera more and more each week, I happily obliged:

Look at the pattern on his wings. I'm learning just how individual and unique each creature is. — Look at the pattern on his wings. I’m learning just how individual and unique each creature is.

When we returned home we attempted to identify the insect using this website. The fly was very definitely an Alder Fly. They say ‘Adult Alder Flies are blackish-brown, with dark, lacy wings which they fold in a tent-like manner along the length of their body. They are distinguished from stoneflies by the lack of any ‘tail’ bristles.’

As I was snapping away, movement in the water caught my eye. I wasn’t sure what it was, until I zoomed in and captured this:

Two bees...doing something (not sure what!) — Two bees…doing something (not sure what!)

Again we went home and looked up images of bees mating and found some very similar looking pictures. Note in our picture one of the bees is larger than the other; however, I’m really not sure it was big enough to be a queen bee. But what would I know?

No sooner had a captured them (doing whatever they were doing) I heard a yell from C10, she had found frogs spawn:

We've never noticed frogs spawn at this pond before so we were quite excited — We’ve never noticed frogs spawn at this pond before so we were quite excited!

Then of course we had to find the frog:

No, not really! We did find this frog but it was in our back garden a few days later. It was too tempting not to include it. I know I cheated. But I cheated honestly.

Next week, unless we are yet again blown away by something else amazing, we will be concentrating on our tree. I’ll also post some pictures of our April journal page. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our nature studies!

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