During the wet months of this winter and last spring, the hole became more like a lake, with over four feet of water in it..
Today I was using a watering can filled with some of this water when the rose on the spout became blocked. Taking it off and shaking it, imagine my surprise when this fell out...
It's a Great Diving Beetle, and at 25-35mm it will attack almost anything that moves, including fish and frogs.
When I took it back to the water's edge and set it on the vegetation, it couldn't get into the water quick enough....
What we would love to know is how on earth did it get here? The hole was completely dry until 2 years ago and it dried out again between last spring and this winter.
How long till we can start selling fishing licences?
6 comments:
The Great Diving Beatle is a well known musician and can fly very strongle...
If, as is likely, your temporary étang dries out...
it will up stix and fly off elsewhere.
Many water beetles are good fliers and can move from pond to pond...
to plastic sheeting [accident-early]...
to skylight window...
partly because they mainly fly at night and the plastic sheet and skylight reflect the moonlight...
and they think it is water.
I did once find one in an upturned, rainfilled dustbin lid on the allotments....
poor thing was going round in circles.
The nearest known water was over one and a half miles away as the beetle flies...
but I'll bet there were ponds far closer.
He wasn't there the next day, so had probably flown on in search of larger premises.
Nice shots, tho'...
Atcherly, thinkin' 'bout it....
why not line that hole and let it fill naturally as a pond!!
I've seen a Great Diving Beetle larva determinedly crossing a track to get to a better pond too. They are really tough dudes.
Tim and Susan, thank you for your informative comments. I had no idea they would fly! I'm glad I didn't keep in it the house for too long when I brought it in to show Colin, otherwise we might have been chasing it round for ever more!!
As Tim says, they can fly, usually at night. We had a pond put into our garden a couple of years ago. We then sat back and waited for the wildlife. They duly turned up, even though the nearest water is quite a distance away. Diving beetles, pond skaters, newts and frogs. I would also agree with the comment, line it and then fill it with water. Add some plantlife, Then get a fountain/pump to aerate it. If you want some goldfish you are welcome, we seem to be breeding them.
Paul, If the "hole" wasn't so big, Paul, we would consider lining it but it's rather too large even for us to consider... Thanks for the offer, though. If we decide on a smaller pond we know where to come!
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