Belted Kingfisher causes turmoil in the pond.

Last month a belted kingfisher visited the pond several times a day for at least two weeks.  It managed to take out the goldfish at will.  Since we have a very large population of fish, I wasn't alarmed as I watched it skillfully pick fish from the water.  Eventually the fish totally disappeared with no sightings of the larger or even the very small fish.  They seemed to sense the attacks and have been hiding deep in the pond for some time.  The kingfisher lost interest in its fishing expedition several weeks ago, but the fish have yet to surface in numbers.  In just the past couple days they can be seen deep in the water from time-to-time, but there is no way to get a count or idea of how many survived.  I suppose the breeding season is under way so there should be plenty of replacements.  Nature works that way.  The pond was designed with anticipation of predation.  There is a deep section and areas of heavy vegetation with underwater rock crevices and other hiding areas for fish, frogs, tadpoles, etc to escape predation.    

May was gray, cool and very wet

Some brighter pictures of cherry blossoms in May.  Blossoms, and plant life in general, running about a month later this year due to un usually cold, wet spring.

Plant life in pond.

Fritillaria in bloom 5/10/11

Salmon Berry Blossoms

Continued cool and wet.  Wildflowers blooming later this year.  Salmon berry blossoms about one month behind last year.

April Wildflowers

Trillium

Early White Trillium

Fawn Lily

April snow this morning

April cool but warmer than March. Still lots of rain.

Red-legged frog at pond's edge.  They have not been seen much lately due to the cool weather.  First tadpoles of the season seen last week.

Trilliums started blooming about a week ago. Late start this year too.

Blue skies and current blossoms. 

March colder than normal and near record rainfall

Spring gets a slow start this year

New Salamander Eggs dispite weather

Frog and Salamader eggs

Weather improves, More Frog Eggs

Warmer weather and more rain for March.  Frog and salamander eggs continue to increase and mature. 

Red-Legged Frog, Eggs and Goldfish

Red-Legged Frog