Last Updated: 7/6/07

Introduction:
Welcome to my second newsletter. If you have something pond-related that you want to share (information, jokes, web sites, something pond-related for sale), let me know, and I will add it to the next newsletter. Do you think I should include information on my other non-pond web sites in this newsletter (in this issue, I've branched into other wildlife)? Do you think I should keep copies of the past newsletters on a web site? What topics would you like me to cover? I would love some feedback. Thanks!

Significantly Altered or New Pond Web Pages (explanations below):
1. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/plants/overwinter.htm

Additions or Changes to Robyn's Pond Web Pages:
1. I added a section to my plant pages about overwintering tropical water lilies because I discovered that my "dead" night bloomer that I overwintered is alive and well and putting out a dozen blooms. So, I wanted to share how I overwintered the tuber. [Note: This page was moved in May 2006 so the new URL was put in above).
2. I made a small web site at a different address that may be easier for people to remember. It links to my main web pages. There is not much to see there but you can hear a frog call in the background. I got this free web site from care2.com, and it was super easy to make. I didn't have to use any HTML or do anything that a novice would find difficult. So, if you don't have a web site, want one, and want to do it without HTML or other code, try out their site (there is a link at the bottom of my care2 site). My only complaint is that if you use their main editor, it is so slow that I cannot even use it. My tiny site is http://world.care2.com/robynspets. (Note added later; the Care2 web pages were discontinued 12/1/01 so my site was deleted there.)

Potential Future Additions to Robyn's Pond Web Pages:
1. I'm working on the final touches of my pond book so it should be on-line soon!

Happenings at Robyn's Ponds:
1. My small, Momo Botan lotus has two flowers. My lotus in the 50 gallon buried tub has a bud on it too.
2. The water hyacinth looks like it will be king of the pond this year! It would have been the water lettuce but the aphids annihilated it! A few pieces survived though.
3. We "accidently" ended up with a rooster (he was supposed to be a hen). It is really strange to be working at the pond and hear crowing! The chickens have a page at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/birds/chicken.htm.
4. In my aquariums, my old female fathead minnow died. She was four years old and born in my tank! I have a few new species of fish inside as well (honey gouramis, dawn tetras, and a betta). See my fish page for more information.

Interesting Animal Sightings:
1. After years of failures, we have four baby bluebirds in one of our nest boxes! This poor pair laid 16 eggs earlier in the spring and summer at another box, and every last egg was destroyed, probably by a house wren or English sparrow. The babies are so cute! The last time we had bluebird babies, in the mid-80's, blowflies killed them. For more bird nest information, check out www.nestbox.com.
2. A female ruby-throated hummingbird comes to the hummingbird feeder daily now. I finally saw a male too so I hope they have babies!

Web Sites of Interest:
1. http://www.naturesound.com/frogs/frogs.html - a newly discovered site with frog and toad photos and calls (my frog pages list four other similar sites).
2. I had my property certified as a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. If you have as little as 1/8 (or perhaps less) of an acre, you can too. Check it out at http://www.nwf.org/habitats/index.html.
3. There is a study out that shows that more crows and other birds die from pesticide poisoning than from other causes like the West Nile Virus on the East coast of the USA. See http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2001/2001L-06-22-06.html. (Note: This site may no longer work.)
4. One way to decrease the population of mosquitoes is to promote bats. See http://www.batcon.org for Bat Conservation International to learn all about them!

Pond Tidbits:
1. Mosquito dunks which are sold to kill mosquito larvae are reported to also be effective in killing the larvae of leaf-mining midges and the China Mark moth. They are safe for any non- insect in the pond. One source to buy them is Aqua-Mart (http://www.aqua-mart.com) but they are sold in many places.
2. Many plants do exceptionally well if planted in pea gravel in a shallow area instead of in dirt covered with gravel. They do not need fertilizing that way as they take nutrients from the water moving through the gravel. Parrot feather, water celery, four-leaf clover, and water forget-me- not are a few examples of plants that I have grown this way.

Pond Humor:
Why did the koi cross the pond? To get to the food on the other side? That's not funny!
Why did the frog buy her mate a cigar box? Because he croaked.

Yikes! It's a good thing I'm not a comedienne! Do you have some better pond jokes? E-mail them to me, and I will put the best ones in the next newsletter.

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