It is not very impressive, even after several glances. It is 80 feet long and 60 feet wide, barely a tenth of an acre. As farm ponds go, it can only be called diminutive. But it is my favorite body of water, created when I bought the land and a derelict cabin 20 years ago, and it never ceases to surprise.
The pond emerged from a scrubby spot in front of the cabin, where local friends always envisioned a trout pond. After completing the new driveway, John Murdoch saw my tiny pond layout and laughed, saying he would build me a real pond. Running his excavator like he was dancing “Swan Lake,” John did just that, with his son playing second fiddle with the bulldozer.
With plenty of clay to retain water, John dug the pond to 13 feet deep, ensuring cool water all summer for delicate trout. Spring-fed, the pond filled in six weeks, and the level has never varied more than a few inches. I hauled huge rocks to build hiding spots for critters on the pond floor and broadcast wildlife mix seed to start the required plant habitat.
Within days it was obvious the pond would attract wildlife, with insects, small birds, and frogs appearing first. Other ponds we created in later years immediately hosted whitetails, but this one had steep banks to limit future growth of cattails to just 3 feet from the shore. The cattails appeared in the third year and after six years were well established. The plants provide habitat for a myriad of creatures, and birds use the fluff on top for nesting.
Habitat development has always been my priority. In two decades, we have planted more than 4,000 trees and shrubs of 85 species. The goal was to provide food and shelter for all kinds of wildlife. The pond was intended to be self-sustaining, so many plants were added on its banks. Of particular interest were plants that attract insects, since some of those insects would end up feeding trout, birds and bats. Examples include eastern willow, elderberry, buttonbush and bee balm.
I would love to report that all the plants flourished, but that is unrealistic. The cabin sits just below a mountaintop at 2,000 feet in western New York, with strong winds and heavy winters. Despite my best efforts, some saplings “drowned” in wet summers when I could not rescue them from lush surrounding vegetation. Years with below-average rainfall desiccated some plants when I was not around to provide water. Deer wreaked havoc on beautiful balsams with their antlers. Some of my experiments were probably doomed to failure, like the persimmons that were listed as appropriate for Zone 3 but grew just 6 inches after five years.
The buttonbush and willow were described as capable of growth in wet soil like that on the banks of a pond. Buttonbush can handle several feet of water on its roots, but the clay soil was not ideal, and afternoon sun is limited by the neighboring forest. After several years, the plants were finally doing well, until one spring when a young beaver wandered up the stream to the pond. It was lucky that I showed up in mid-April before he had chewed everything down. Fortunately, he took my serious hints to depart for better quarters.
Mother Nature chipped in with her own contributions to the pond and elsewhere on the land. In addition to the cattail seeds, we received “volunteer” species like joe-pye weed, goldenrod and milkweed, all great for pollinators. The nearby field now has new apple trees, pines and white birches.
While I am promoting species diversity, I am not so happy with invasive multiflora rose, autumn olive and hogweed that must be removed. Japanese knotweed arrived at a neighbor’s house down the hill, and I hope it never invades my place.
As the pond developed, we hosted more wildlife around the calendar. In early spring, the salamanders arrive to pass along their genes. During my annual visits in March, April and October, I can almost predict the arrival of hooded mergansers, mallards or Canada geese looking for rest and nourishment. Nest boxes for screech owls, wood ducks and eastern bluebirds have also hosted northern flickers, flying squirrels and great crested flycatchers. Everyone is welcome, including the mice, chipmunks and wasps, as long as they don’t trash the neighborhood or the owner. All that activity also attracts predators such as great blue herons, raccoons and mink, who have left some trout for me.
When I am around the cabin, I constantly look to see what is happening at the pond. My favorite activity is to sit on the deck for breakfast or an afternoon snack while watching eastern phoebes flitting over the pond for insects or spotting the rise of a fish. Those brook trout gave me the biggest thrill one May afternoon as I watched insects hatching and small trout jumping for them. It struck me that I was seeing more trout than we had stocked. The brookies had finally spawned!
It was then that I realized the pond was a mature, living thing. My role is now that of an observer, treasuring the pond in my declining years.
