Pond Life

Ponds can be breathtakingly beautiful. They attract all kinds of wildlife in and around its perimeter. D has one such pond. The wildlife he sees on a daily basis is really quite remarkable.

This past weekend we saw three deer, a momma white skunk, a ground hog, three goofy young male turkeys who I refer to as the boys, a pair of Canadian geese, and our absolute favorite, Mr. and Mrs. Wood Duck. We were beyond ecstatic that wood ducks decided to make their home around his pond. D had never seen a wood duck before.

The pond is also surrounded by birds, birds, and more birds. Two of D’s favorite birds are the Eastern bluebirds and tree swallows. Tree swallows are very fast as they flit over the top of the water, diving with great speed to snatch a bug. It is fascinating how they do this over and over throughout the day.

The other day D was watching the beauty in his backyard. From his patio, you can watch animals along the tree line that venture up into the yard and the activity of the pond. But, nature isn’t always so pretty or kind. Sadly, that day, a Peregrine Falcon made a dive into this safe haven and grabbed a precious tree swallow. Such is the circle of life. There really is no such thing as a safe haven in the wild.

The pond is home to many fish as well. Blue gill, bass, crappie, grass carp, and to our dismay, some very large catfish. The catfish were here before D bought this place three years ago. The catfish have become problematic because of their size and their very large mouths. They need to be out of the pond.

Last evening, D and I decided to take the golf cart to the pond. We were going to see if we could catch those catfish. We are hoping that the wood ducks will have little ones but they would be easy prey for those big-mouthed bad boys.

It was very much dusk when we drove near the dock. I noticed that we startled the female wood duck who had been sitting undetected along the water’s edge. She wanted to move away from us so she got into the water and swam under the dock to the other side and then continued out into deeper water.

We watched her swim with pure adoration. Female wood ducks are very beautiful. But in the dim light I could easily mistake her for a mallard duck. She swam away but kept watchful eye on us as we gazed back at her.

And then, in an instant….she was gone. Faster than a blink of an eye. No splashing. No noise. No nothing. A catfish had pulled her under and our beloved wood duck was gone. It was as though she never existed. Our hearts broke. My heart hurt for her mate and the eggs that might be waiting for her warmth. She was more afraid of us than the instinct that warned her of danger that lurks beneath the water at dusk. It was the saddest moment ever.

We got back in the golf cart and drove back to the house.

It’s hard to understand sometimes this truly unpleasant side of life. But it’s what maintains life. And life has to be balanced. But now more than ever, we want those catfish out of the pond. They are going to throw life out of balance in and around this beautiful pond.

I’m trying hard not to think about the wood duck family that won’t be and for the male who is now alone. It’s so sad to me.

So for now we will watch for all the other new springtime babies that will soon infiltrate life around the pond. We will find great joy in that. ♥️

Andi