The Little Pond
(click on a photo to enlarge)
Water is a premium commodity in the arid Southwest and that is especially true here in the Dragoon Mountains. What water there is comes from the summer monsoon or the relatively infrequent winter precipitation. This is why our little birdbaths are more attractive than any seed we might offer. Some birds never even take a second glance at the seed but come in just for the water. Water is gold here. The less common sparrows are an example — Botteri’s, Black-chinned and Cassin’s. I’ve never seen them take any birdseed yet they drink and bathe whenever they visit. Today the White-throated Sparrow appeared at the fountain for a bath and paid no attention to the seed. It has finally decided to come up from the wash so we’ll see if it hangs around for the winter and changes its eating habits.
Last year we had a small pond created while we were having some tree holes dug. Dry ground up here is like concrete so we hired a neighbor with a tractor to do the digging — so much easier. Initially the pond looked like this:
Newly Created Pond – 2009
We bought an expensive slurry that was supposed to prevent water from escaping once it was applied. The first rain came and the pond filled nicely. The next morning it was empty. An obvious waste of money. This year we purchased a liner. Much better.
The Pond in 2010
I should mention that the water for this pond comes from the overflow of our two 1500 gallon underground tanks which hold the rainwater that flows off the roof of our house. We use this water for the garden (most of our plants are drought-tolerant). In a good monsoon year it doesn’t take long for the tanks to fill so the excess water is shunted into the pond and when that is full it runs down to the wash. Eventually, though, the little pond will evaporate completely but since it has been such a magnet for wildlife, we’ve decided to keep a little water in it during the dry season. The birds love it.
Botteri’s Sparrow After a Bath
The pond is especially popular with Brewer’s, Chipping and Vesper Sparrows.
Brewer’s and Chipping Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri)
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)
A single Lark Bunting has been hanging around lately.
Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys)
An unexpected visit from a Black Phoebe. Now I’m hoping a Vermilion Flycatcher will find our little oasis someday.
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
I’m sure deer are visiting the pond during the night and will be setting up the night camera to monitor nocturnal visitors. There might be some more surprises. I know the deer visit the feeding station at night because the camera catches them at it all the time. We have to be sure to bring the quail block in at night because in no time the deer will have eaten a fairly expensive block of seed. Instead they pick up tidbits from the ground, drain the bird baths and move on.
Mule Deer
November 23rd, 2010 at 9:46 pm
We have fences around and rain roofs over our quail blocks. When I black light I hear rodent teeth scraping off the seeds. Even our dogs try to steal them when they are reduced enough in size. Bring them inside? Never occurred to us. We do go through a lot of them…
November 27th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Ponds a great for attracting the wildlife. You made a good looking pond for your birds and critters. Loved the photos and the reflection shots are awesome.