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New wildlife pond vs bird droppings

grantcstewartgrantcstewart Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Unfortunately, my new pond sits quite close to a tree that birds use back and forth to my various feeders and they are pooping in it big time. I'm not too concerned as I'm not having fish and I'm waiting for next spring before planting the marginals etc.

A good thing? Organic I suppose.

Ta.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    It'll certainly feed the algae you don't want!

    Try adding some black food colouring to darken the water and stop algae growing (they need light) or use extract of barley which you can now buy in good garden centres and water gardens as this also inhibits algae.   Neither will affect wildlife or your marginals.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    The leaves from the tree will possibly cause problems next autumn as they will fall into the pond and this will build up organic matter very quickly and as obelixx said the bird droppings high in nitrogen will be loved by algae. Will the site of the tree shade your pond a lot?
    However trees are a benefit to many wildlife and too many trees are cut down.
    Maybe until your plants get really going you could in the autumn just put some kind of net across the pond to catch some of the leaves (depending of course how big your pond is).
  • grantcstewartgrantcstewart Posts: 4
    I had a net up to collect the main brunt of the leaves and are all clear. I removed the net and in the space of a couple of weeks 100's of little white dollops in the water while they transit to the bird feeding station. So move the station you say! Hmm, then I can't see them.
    All good fun.
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