Pitsford New Ponds

The Freshwater Habitats Trust have a project to install around 10 new ponds/water features at Pitsford at three locations to increase the freshwater diversity. They have been dug recently and i have been walking round to see how they are coming along. 

The prime site is in “No Mans Land” as we call it, the popular plantation at the bottom of the Scaldwell arm. They are opening up the old meanders in the stream so that they fill when the stream is running high and the water can then create ponds that are longer lasting. This should also alleviate recent flooding in the area especially on the path by slowing the flow.

At the moment these just have a sprinkling of autumn leaves and no water as it has been a very dry summer and autumn.  Also the set of ponds at the back of compartment 23 in the Scaldwell arm were still dry.

However the complex at Cristie’s Copse have a few puddles of muddy dirty water perhaps from the storms over the last week and it is amazing how quickly they get populated. 

The water bugs tend to be one of the earliest colonisers as they are strong fliers. I found 4 species of Corixidae (Corixa panzeri, Sigara nigrolineata, Sigara fossarum and Sigara lateralis) and 2 species of backswimmers including Notonecta glauca and also Notonecta obliqua which is a first sighting for Pitsford. It is usually a bit more Northern preferring peat ponds and acid bog pools. However more recently and frequently it is found in more base rich sites such as Clay ponds.

Water beetles fly too and also have there habitat preferences and i found 4 species. Helophorus brevipalpis likes any temporary wetland habitat, Berosus affinis likes freshwater over clay with some exposed substratum and Hygrotus confluens likes newly created and highly disturbed ponds with no vegetation. These are typical of the first colonisers in newly created ponds.

Also i was surprised to find a female Great Diving Beetle - Dytiscus marginalis. Although these like small ponds and are found in most aquatic habitats. I think it was the size again that surprised me and at c30mm with big jaws they are an awesome predator. 

The ponds have started well and are looking great. It will take a while for them to clear as the rain will disturb the substrate but next year you should be able to stand and look in, observing how much life there is.