Yet Another beautiful day in our long Mediterranean Summer, and we had a good turn out of adults and children for our first ever “Life in Freshwater” event with Steve Joul.
We met in the car park of Old Leo’s rugby club, where Steve gave an introduction and demonstrated the equipment we would be using (nets, bowls and specimen jars) before leading us off on our freshwater safari.
Our first stop was the bridge over the stream behind the Cricket Club pavilion, and within seconds of our arrival the banks of the stream were the scene of feverish activity – fishing nets were dipping in the stream; children and adults were excitedly peering into them, and their contents were being emptied into water filled trays.
The contents of one of our examination trays. A still photograph cannot convey the wriggling and darting about of many of these little black shapes.
Within a few minutes, Steve had identified the following creatures swimming or wriggling about in the trays:
- freshwater shrimp
- mayfly nymph
- sludge worm
- flat worm
- blood worm
- water cricket
- black fly lava
After about 20 minutes of fishing in the stream, we set our specimens free in the stream and Steve led us down to Adel Pond to see what we could find there.
Young scientists discuss what they have found
A moment of stillness
At the pond there was more excited hunting of our our native freshwater wildlife: there was lots of running about, and many young voices could be heard calling: “Steve, what is this?”.
The most dramatic catches were the numerous dragonfly nymphs, but the pond was full of life – including many young newts and a young frog.
As we searched for wildlife in the pond, a magnificent southern hawker dragonfly did its rounds, hunting for prey.
A dragonfly nymph
At the pond Steve identified the following catches:
- eft (young newt)
- ramshead snail
- pondskater
- dragonfly nymphs
- backswimmer
- water louse
- pea mussels
- waterfleas
- flat worm
- mayfly nymph
- young frog
At the end of our safari, we replaced the catches in the pond and then made our way back to the car park, buzzing with excitement.
Thank you Steve for a wonderful afternoon showing us some of the range of wildlife active under the surface of our local streams and ponds!
Steve and a young naturalist examining the contents of their net
Friends of Adel Woods 