Starting a pond, sort of...

[itiwhetu]

We don't have any birds here now. Between the feral and domestic cats, and the local council poisoning and burning them, there is nothing left here.

Bugger. We have cats, rabbits, wekas, Kotuku, Aussie Kingfishers, and 30 other varieties of birds on our place.

 

[Colin_T]

It doesn't really matter anymore any way, people have done too much damage to Australia (and the rest of the world) and there is virtually nothing left. And what is left will be gone in the next 10 years. Apparently the bush fires last summer destroyed over 20% of Australia's forests and millions of animals died. The reckon it will take at least 10 years before the burnt bush recovers to any degree, and 50 years before it goes back to the way it was before the fires. And we have had bush fires again this summer.

Scientists have set up motion tracking cameras in the burnt bush to see what is left. They found dozens of feral cats and a couple of native animals. The native animals are doomed because the cats will eat them. They found no reptiles, virtually no insects, no birds and not much else.

And the ex head of the Australian scientific and research department was on TV last night saying we need to change now and have 0% emissions in 10 years or we aren't going to be around in 2050. And that is similar to what I have been saying to the government for years. But I'm just a crazy old fool and nobody in government listens so the planet is dead and so is everything on it. Enjoy it now people, because this ends in about 10 years and the planet will burn

 

[itiwhetu]

It doesn't really matter anymore any way, people have done too much damage to Australia (and the rest of the world) and there is virtually nothing left. And what is left will be gone in the next 10 years. Apparently the bush fires last summer destroyed over 20% of Australia's forests and millions of animals died. The reckon it will take at least 10 years before the burnt bush recovers to any degree, and 50 years before it goes back to the way it was before the fires. And we have had bush fires again this summer.

Scientists have set up motion tracking cameras in the burnt bush to see what is left. They found dozens of feral cats and a couple of native animals. The native animals are doomed because the cats will eat them. They found no reptiles, virtually no insects, no birds and not much else.

And the ex head of the Australian scientific and research department was on TV last night saying we need to change now and have 0% emissions in 10 years or we aren't going to be around in 2050. And that is similar to what I have been saying to the government for years. But I'm just a crazy old fool and nobody in government listens so the planet is dead and so is everything on it. Enjoy it now people, because this ends in about 10 years and the planet will burn

That is so sad

 

[itiwhetu]

I like to think if everyone does a little that will make a difference. I came to the west coast to save a ten acre block of native bush and protect what is around us.

 

[Colin_T]

If everyone did a little bit it would make a big difference, unfortunately most people aren't willing to do a little bit and that is the problem. Then we have governments that refuse outright to do anything because they don't think it will make a difference. The Australian government says because we only make 1% of the air pollution, it won't make any difference if we stop using fossil fuel and go solar. We still export huge amounts of gas, coal and oil, so our 1% is more like 15% because we supply fossil fuel to other countries to burn.

The same government refuses to force Australian car manufacturers to lift their game and make cars more efficient. Many years ago there was a law brought out around the world, that said each new model of vehicle that a car company produces, must be more efficient than previous models. Most of the world used this as a standard and still do today. The Australian government said get stuffed and didn't adopt the law. Subsequently new cars that are made for Australia, are just as inefficient as cars from the 70s, and in some cases worse than the carby driven cars from the 60s and 70s.

Years ago I had a 1974 XB Ford Falcon panel van. It had a carby driven 6 cylinder engine and a 3 speed manual gearbox. It used 13 litres per 100km city or country driving.

In 2011? Ford Australia released its last Falcon. It had a 6 cylinder engine that was similar to my 1974 engine. It had multi point fuel injection and all sorts of wonderful emission controls to provide a clean exhaust. It even had a 6 speed manual or automatic gearbox. These cars produced double the horse power of my panel van but used 50% more fuel than my carby driven panel van. City driving they used between 18-22 litres per 100km. My 1974 XB Ford Falcon coupe had a huge V8 carby driven engine and it used 18-20 litres per 100km city driving. Country driving the new Falcons used 6-8 litres per 100km, so that was an improvement. But since 90% of cars are driven in cities, it wasn't good.

There is 35 years worth of engineering and development in the new car and it used 50% more fuel than a carby driven car from the 70s. It is absolutely disgusting.

This goes further with cars being made for the European market having better fuel economy and emissions than cars made for the Australian market. For example, I can buy a Ford Transit van that is meant for the UK market and the same make and model for the Australian market. The one for the UK market will have a higher safety rating, better fuel economy and cleaner emissions compared to the model for the Australian market.

The Australian government just doesn't care about the environment. They are currently pushing to build a billion dollar natural gas facility and pipeline across the country. It will be ready for use in about 15-20 years. Everyone in the scientific community is saying NO. Even the investors are saying NO. When the investors say no, it's not a viable option, most people take notice. But not our government. They want a big old gas pipeline instead of putting the resources into renewable energy like solar power, which Australia could do so easily.

 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

Updating parameters:

Ammonia: 0 - NO2: 0 - NO3: 0
pH: 6.2
KH: 40 ppm
GH: 30 ppm

Here is a picture:
View attachment 127784 View attachment 127783

Yes, there are birds. Bald eagles, great blue herons, pheasants, ravens, ospreys, geese, ducks, seagulls. Most of these stay on the other side of the bamboo where the harbor is and catch fish there. The lily pads are the size of large dinner plates, so they can offer some shelter.

Now that I know the parameters it should be easier to figure out fish.

I'm jealous. I built a 14 foot diameter pond in my parent's backyard when I was a kid on the Pacific coast. I made the mistake of telling my mom that I was bored early one summer in 7th grade and she got me a pick and a shovel and told me "if you are bored, dig a pool". I began in earnest, but ran into bedrock just over a meter down. After losing the debate about the solution being dynamite (she just wouldn't budge on that one), I decided to cement it in and epoxy over it as a pond instead. It was a fun project for a kid.
Sadly, I can't easily have a pond here. Way too cold in the winter. We can get frost line down a meter (though your 5ft end would have some liquid in it). I do have a neighbor who has an impressive creek/cascade and koi pond. But the work to set it up anew each spring, overwinter the fish, and tear it down each autumn is excessive in my mind. I suppose the up shot is we have loads of lakes, ponds, and wetlands around here.
We also get tree frogs. Grays. They freeze solid each winter then thaw out and hop off each spring. I've run into one frog-cle, replaced in it's hiding spot. Checked on it early in the spring to be sure it had not been found, and a week later after a good thaw it was gone. They don't chorus like the PTF by you though. That's a sound I miss!

 

[eatyourpeas]

I remember digging the pond and encountering large rocks. We just left them and draped the pond liner over them and used the bumps to hold the lilies. We have had a very mild winter which is why you can still see the lily pads. Usually they all die in the winter, and the pond gets a layer of ice that you can walk over. The bamboo corner is my favourite reading place. Between the sound of the frogs and the swaying bamboo, plus it stays about 10F cooler in the summer, it is simply dreamy. We are extremely fortunate to live where we are. I do not miss the harsh New England winters, but love snow.

I saw a picture of a frozen frog, it was so peaceful and looked like a mini frozen Yoda. @OnlyGenusCaps gets more chirping than serenading, but we all seem to get a nice audible treat from these critters.

@Colin_T would like it here. Everyone moves around in bicycles (too much lycra for my taste) and the majority of people commute to work that way. I walk everywhere, and there is always something amazing to look at. More cars have been appearing due to crazy development, but at least a lot of the ones you see are electric.

Yes, any little bit counts towards saving something. We maintain a bioswale and are always on the lookout for things that can threaten its health. Too many new housing developments are contributing to nasty runoff and the depletion of our aquifer. City is more interested in money than preservation, unfortunately

 

[eatyourpeas]

I have whistling tree frogs and WCMM running in this pond it is 20 meters long and about 300mm deep average.

View attachment 127803View attachment 127804View attachment 127805

@itiwhetu , is the plant with the pink flowers a Canna?

 

[itiwhetu]

@itiwhetu , is the plant with the pink flowers a Canna?

Yes it is

 

[eatyourpeas]

Yes it is

Beautiful!