New toy and pond progress

I got to really like the Sigma 70-300, at first for close up stuff and then finding it useful for wandering round with. As value for money it is hard to fault, but once the macro lens was purchased it's limitations in that department were shown up, and it's 'agricultural' operation grated compared to my Nikon zoom - the lack of stabilisation was also a problem for Mr Wobbly-Hands. So I bit the bullet and got myself the Nikon version. It's great! Not had the weather or the time to put it to much use, but my resident robin posed the other morning.

Slight crop

A rainy Sunday saw me scratching my head for subjects, until it went dark and I took a couple of snails into the garage for a studio shoot. Using the macro lens, flash bracket and flash with a Lumiquest Mini Softbox I got some reasonable results. A better 'set' than a big rotting log is required!

Today was supposed to be fine, but it was showery. I just managed to gather some clay to provide a substrate to plant water plants in the pond in a dry spell. When the rain drifted away I added the clay to the pond and pressed some plant roots into it to add to the few I had planted in upturned turf sods. Once they all take hold it will start to look a bit more naturalised and the greenery will cover the exposed pond liner.

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Pond blog : 8

My mate, Martin, who gave me the pond liner said I could have some rocks too. Yesterday I called round to laugh at watch him building a garage, and to have a look at the rocks. he talked me into loading some in the back of my car. I also had a look at his pond, made with a moulded fibreglass liners, which is nicely mature after just over a year. I'll be cadging some plants and snails off him later!

And so to work. The rocks have been piled up loosely to provide hidey-holes for frogs and toads. Some of the pile of sods have been used to level out the pond edge and the rest upturned in the dip by the fence, which is levelling off nicely. I'll top up the levels later today and start planning the planting

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Pond blog : 7

Having been offered some carpet FOC I decided to go with carpet and sand!

Not a lot of sand, just enough to smooth the contours under the carpet.

The carpet was just about the perfect size.

The liner was quite a bit larger than the hole required. I suppose I could have dug a bigger pond.

Instead I made a last minute bird bath.

All that is left to do now is some landscaping, and then the pond can be populated with plants - I saw a midge laying eggs while the water level was rising!

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Pond blog : 6

I managed to get the pond dried out a bit more this morning in the hot sun. Pity the days are getting shorter and the sun isn't on the pond for so long now. After my evening meal I hope I managed to get the edge level. It doesn't look much different in the photo below to how it did last time. Now I have to decide if I line the hole with sand or carpet. Another day of drying won't go amiss.

Vimto is a great wasp attractant. The dregs in a glass gave me the opportunity to trap a couple of the stripy insects and cool them down for another macro attempt. I need more practice with the manual focusing with all three extension tubes attached. The bounce card worked well on the flash though.

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Pond blog : 5

daft as it seems today's job was putting soil back in the hole! I'd overdone the digging and wanted to re-profile to provide a greater shallow area. Once things dry out a bit the contours will be smoothed and then the task of levelling the edge will begin.

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Pond blog : 4

Sunshine got me out making tweaks yesterday. The trough for the edge of the liner to sit in is cut, so it' now ready for the final contouring and levelling before getting some sand to line it.

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Pond blog : 3

Things were slow drying out but I jumped in with the spade nonetheless. Deepened the deep bit and spread more spoil. More drying time required before the final shaping I think.

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Pond blog : 2

Another layer dug out yesterday.

It rained today so I shifted the spoil.

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Pond blog : 1

Ever since I was small I've wanted a pond. I've always been too lazy to dig one and too mean to buy a liner. When my mate Martin offered me a liner for free I snatched his hand off!I did some research and found a helpful leaflet/download on the British Dragonfly Society website.

Working from that leaflet the size of pond I could expect to get from the liner was about 8ft by 9ft so I staked out a rectangle of those dimensions and outlined it with string. Then, following roughly a plan I had sketched out, I laid some rope out to get an idea of how the pond would be sited.

Happy with that I sprayed the grass with paint to create a better outline and began removing turf.

By the time I had the shape of the pond-to-be cleared I was ready for my evening meal.

The two 'bays' will be shallow and gently sloping, and there'll be deeper water opposite the 'point'. Some of the spoil might be used to make a mound, most will be spread over the dip in the garden by the fence. Meanwhile I shall quietly contemplate the next move.

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