Vinegar Pond
Vinegar Pond is on the Heath plateau. It is thought to have formed on the site of an old gravel pit but was enlarged during World War 2. Conditions for pond life are tough here, as it regularly dries out, has a lot of suspended sediment and suffers from disturbance by dogs – the pesticides on their fur will kill water-dwelling invertebrates.
Mustard Pond
Mustard Pond was created in 2016 at the western end of Long Valley. It now hosts wildlife although not much may be visible due to frequent disturbance.
Frogs spawning in Vinegar Pond, 2017. Amphibians have to go back to water to breed, and this is the best place on the Heath for that – so it can get a bit crowded in Spring! Splashing about by dogs has broken up the clumps of spawn.
A Common Frog, well camouflaged in grassy leaf litter. Grass Snakes are among their many predators – in fact where there are frogs there are bound to be Grass Snakes, and vice versa.
Pond skaters skim across the water surface, hunting insect prey and sometimes even tadpoles. They can fly to another pond if needs be.
[Image courtesy Hans Watson]
Murky pond water can support a huge amount of microscopic life. This is Volvox, a colony of algal cells near the bottom of the food-chain.
[Dark-field image, scale 0.3 mm, courtesy Stephen Durr]
Strands of filamentous algae are sometimes the only visible life in the ponds. This is because of high levels of suspended clay particles and disturbance which prevents water plants from taking root. Image magnified x 250.
Anabaena is one of the filamentous cyanobacteria, formerly known as Blue-green Algae. They lie at the bottom of the food-chain on Mousehold. They may form blooms of scum on the water in Summer. Image magnified x 400.
You can often spot dragonflies on the Heath in Summer; they probably fly in from breeding places elsewhere. The Broad-bodied Chaser can often be seen returning to a favourite perch. The males are very territorial and readily engage in aerial combats.
[Image courtesy Meg Miller]
The Ruddy Darter has a distinctive, blood-red body and black legs. It is easily approached and so it makes a good photographic subject.
[Image courtesy Hans Watson]
All images courtesy the author, unless otherwise indicated.
