A pond at twilight.
I walked around this pond for several years at all seasons. It was in an open space preserve miles from a populated area. On one visit a great blue heron strolled out of a bunch of reeds. I named him Henry Heron, and enjoyed watching him for a number of visits. Then one day a car on a road near the pond had a very loud blown tire, and with a frightened squawk he took off. He must have thought it was a gun - I never saw him again!
I have visited ponds of all sizes. This one is so large it looks like a lake. My son and I got there at dawn and listened to the geese starting to honk as they slowly woke up. It was a perfect start to the day.
Some ponds are created in public parks, and that's where I found this majestic mute swan.
They eat all kinds of aquatic plants and creatures by dipping their head into the water.
They also won't turn down an easy meal when a visitor leaves seeds next to the water.
For a long time I spent a lot of time visiting a very small pond in the middle of the city where I lived. There were always ducks and various visitors from time to time. I was surprised to see this duck sleeping with one eye open. I read that they do that to watch for predators.
Plant life is very important to a pond. Tall reeds provide a place for some wildlife to nest and hide from predators. Lily pads provide shade that keeps the water from getting too hot in summer, and keeps algae from growing on the surface of the water.
Ponds are a refuge and restaurant for some birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and insects. If there were no ponds, many creatures couldn’t live. How sad that would be!
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