Loads Of Newts, New Snails & Wildlife Pond Update - 4K

I found loads of newts under pots and in last year's piles of leaves and thought I'd share it with you with an update of the pond and some advice.

[@murgyj6198]

you have a great point about nature and management. I've always said similar, as long as you have a good balance of things nature will take care of the rest

[@markjohn4802]

Really trying to find these red albino Great Ramshorn, want to start a breeding colony and share with the locals. Had them years ago, I think the fish ate the young so they died off. I remember the jackdaws used to lift them out of the pond. Maybe because of the red parts, they didn't eat them. I'd jut put them back. I had a fish free pond now and also built one at my girlfriends. She's got her first frog spawn this spring, pond dug in lockdown.

[@jackyfellows506]

My brick built pond was a work in progress that had filled with rain over a few years, I didn't really take any notice of it until I noticed the resident newt...everything changed and over last couple of years I've bought lots of plants and oxygenators and watched as the newts thrived. This year I've been rewarded with frogspawn and toads (no spawn yet though). The frogs have stolen a march on the newts though and the tadpoles are thriving...the pond is positively bubbling with life. I do get a little pond algae which I fetch out every now and then to keep it under control...that is until I noticed that the newts have been laying their eggs amongst the algae...I'm going to have to leave it well alone until the newts have hatched(?) I'm hoping they can evade the numerous tiny frogs by that point! Your videos are such an inspiration...they're much appreciated.

[@Calastein]

Lovely comment, cheers :) Lovely to hear you are loving your newts and frogs, I too haven't had any luck with toads but maybe one day. I believe newts are generally much more hardy than frogs and seem to thrive more easily. I agree; leave the algae. It will find an equilibrium on it's own but if it gets to be too much try putting barley straw in there :) xxxx

[@carlsutton8591]

Hi Is it a good idea to buy in some rams horn snails to a new pond which at the moment only has some oxygenating plants in and some autumn leaves in the deep bit. Is now ie mid November a good time to do this. We do have frogs toads and newts before the pond was built so I expect they'll find their own way in. Lovely videos by the way and lots of handy hints.

[@Calastein]

Thanks a lot for the nice comment so sorry for not getting back sooner just catching up with comments now and I seem to have missed loads LOL

[@markjohn4802]

@@Calastein Hi. I used to have the Great Ramshorns at my previous house and they were red flesh with brown shell. I want to establish a colony in my new pond and at my partners place, she was a reluctant for me to make one, because she didn't like frogs. But she's now loving all the nature. Where can I get these red flesh variety? Thanks

[@martincole4119]

@@markjohn4802 Hi Mark, I'm looking for the red fleshed native Ramshorn's (planorbarius corneus) as well. If you or anyone knows of a source I would be grateful to know.

[@markjohn4802]

@@martincole4119 Fingers crossed I might have found someone, but I'm waiting to see if it's genuine, I should known end of March. I've tried everywhere.

[@martincole4119]

@@markjohn4802 OK Thanks very much, Let hope its the European species,😀 I've been looking a few months now, but not quite the right time of year.

[@wildlifegardener-tracey6206]

Great little video thanks. No newts in my garden sadly. Did find on my door mat Sunday a Black bellied diving beetle. I think it must have hit the window as it was very still. Warmed it up in an observation pot and released it in my local canal. Voracious eaters of tadpoles and as nearly all my spawn succumb to the awful winter, I thought it best not to add it to my very small pond. They eat sticklebacks too so thought the canal was the next best thing.

[@Calastein]

Tracey Pye Wow, just googled that beetle, it’s lovely :) had a similar one last week in one of my temporary ponds which must have landed there but it was black and about a cm long. Do you have a good habitat for newts? xxx

[@wildlifegardener-tracey6206]

Wild About Nature I live in a very old property, 130 yrs old. It is old farm land that has seen many changes over that time. I live on the outskirts of Birmingham. Locally known as “the Blackcountry” due to the industry in the area and history. I’ve lived here for 30 yrs. due to the neighbours sadly passing away the gardens adjoining us have been destroyed. A small apple orchard chopped down, gardens slabbbed and even the dread Astro turf laid! All very depressing. We used to have crickets, foxes raising cubs, hedgehogs. Sadly all gone. I’m trying to encourage foxes back and have seen some early signs that they’re around again. I found one newt in that time and it was dead, dried up. I continue to battle the sterile gardens around us by provide as much as I can for wildlife. It can feel like an up hill battle at times but the rewards keep me going and in fact even more so when I now they’ve found our little oasis, such as the beetle this week. 🙂

[@Calastein]

Tracey Pye What’s happening in the world is not only tragic and sad but will also speed up our own demise, most people are short-sighted but you should be proud of what you are doing and know that even if we eventually fail, you’ve chosen the right side and won’t give up! Xxx

[@wildlifegardener-tracey6206]

Wild About Nature That’s an excellent way of putting it. Coal tit collecting cat fur I’ve put out this morning. Usually only passing visitors. 👍😀x

[@jackyfellows506]

Tracey, I'm also from the Black Country! I'm doing my bit for nature too. There's lots of people slabbing gardens now...it's so sad.

[@DottyGran247]

Lovely to see, thank you. Wondering do frogs play dead too, I uncovered one yesterday and it didn't move but when I touched it, it didn't feel dead if that makes sense, I re-covered as best I could to how it was originally and have left it there, was going to check again today but not sure if it's just best to leave it. I don't have a pond yet but there's one in a nearby garden. Also, I have a few shallow dishes dotted around the garden for whatever wildlife is happy to visit & one of them has tadpoles, the dish is only about 3 inches deep, maybe a little less, do you think they'll survive or will they just be food for birds etc. Ann

[@Calastein]

It's only me Hi there, thanks for the message....Yes they can although not as instantly as newts seem to do. I meant to say in the video that in the amphibian world the art of ‘playing dead’ is called thanatosis. As far as your spawn , it’s great that they have spawned in the dish but once the tadpoles have consumed their ‘jelly’ there will be little food for them and also they will cook in something shallow as there will be no cooler depths to move to and away fro predators. My advice is to relocate them to a mature pond asap and then work on a nice pond ready for next year for your amphibians. Hope this has helped, thanks for watching :) xxx

[@DottyGran247]

Wild About Nature thankyou for the advice and info, I'll check the tadpoles first thing but fear I may be too late, at least I'll know what to do if it happens again. 👍🏻

[@googleuser859]

Fab :-)

[@marcelvdberg]

Best whishes for your wife. I know how those ribs must feel, i had it a couple of times myself as well because of coughing. I share your opninion of the management point of view. Currently there is a big discussion over here on a piece of nature in the Netherlands called "The Oostvaardersplassen" where they have been experimenting with "rewilding". Interesting, but the bottom line is that nature is not as makeable as we think it is and unfortunately the animals are the victim. See: resource.wur.nl/en/show/Remove-the-large-grazers-from-the-Oostvaardersplassen.htm These snails are beautiful and your pond is really nice! BTW, nice shots in the end :-)

[@Calastein]

Grote Griezel Hi M that’s really interesting, Sounds similar although the other way round to when they reintroduced wolves back into Yellowstone National Par in the USA, they realised just what a keystone species they were and things started to thrive and the wolves literally changed the landscape including rivers etc. I will pass on your kind words to the missus, she’ a little better today, maybe she can start making me cups of tea again! ;0) xxx

[@markjohn4802]

Managed to get some finally, they're going into a water feature without sticklebacks and bird safe. My girlfriend and I have lost all our large Great Ramshorn snails to the birds. I've manage to save the tiny young from a water trough I have for the birds to drink. I'm making a habitat to bring on the froglets so they're out of danger from ants, my meadow is full of ant nets.