Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Film of something on pond

jo17jo17 Posts: 65
in Problem solving
We have a large 30m wildlife pond . This year , the first in over 20 years , since Spring , the surface has been covered with a film of , what I have taken to be , pollen or dust . At first I thought it was tree pollen , then grass pollen but it’s  still there and getting worse . We live in a rural area with no building works anywhere nearby. So far the water lilies and fish ( Rudd and tench ) seem ok . Any ideas ? Could this be a surface algae ? The water below the surface is clear and it does clear for a day or so if we get heavy rain . Is this a result of unusually dry weather ?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited August 2020
    It's likely to be 'powder down' from pigeons when they bathe in the pond.  It'll disappear and isn't harmful. 

    More info here https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/ask-an-expert/previous/pigeonpowder.aspx

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • jo17jo17 Posts: 65
    There are a huge number of wood pigeons around here . I’ve never heard of powder down ...thanks for the tip 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yeh - mucky b*ggers  :D
    We get starlings leaving their 'mark' too. A slightly greasier film than the pigeons though.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • jo17jo17 Posts: 65
    This is a pond 30m x 20m so I can’t believe this is just down to pigeons and starlings .
    Could dust from harvesting be adding to pollen problems ?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    There’s certainly a lot of dust at harvest time ... Pa was on a combine for weeks at a time before combined had cabs and the nearest he had to any protection was a handkerchief tied in a triangle over his nose and mouth. You should’ve seen the state of him when he came indoors at dusk. He’d take his overalls and shirt off outside and wash his face under the yard tap before he came indoors. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





Sign In or Register to comment.