Tenerife forum

bardofely

As if the fire last year wasn't bad enough, the beautiful countryside in Erjos, which is famous for its freshwater ponds, is now under threat by the new road, which it is said will disrupt the water flowing down to it according to what I read! And even though that hasn't happened yet the ponds have all but dried up already due to the drought!

Sadly there was only one left with any water at all on Sunday and a lone heron flew off as I approached. It had easy pickings in the thousands of mosquito fish that are stranded in about half an inch deep water. The frogs must all be dead. The dragonflies have all gone!

Some of the ponds had dried up so much that grass and weeds were growing in them and grasshoppers were living where normally there would be water.

The Moorhens and ducks had long gone too!

Considering that we are very unlikely to get any decent rain for a long time now it looks like the ponds of Erjos have been ruined and the wildlife has either died or gone. Meanwhile water is continuing to be sprayed all over lawns in resorts!

Cracked mud

What was the main pond

Grassy areas on the dried mud

The only water left

Footprints of water birds
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Tenerife Seagull

I think that you will find that it looks like that most summers Bard. Then in the autumn, winter and spring they all fill up again. I have noticed that the natural supply and distribution of water seems to be very different here in Tenerife than in the UK. Whereas dry ponds take weeks to fill up again in England they seem to get back to their normal state seemingly overnight here.

Excellent pics.
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bardofely

Tenerife Seagull

Now isn't that strange, Bard? Actually frogs do survive dry ponds, and I do mean frogs as well as toads.

I remember the summer drought in England in 1976. There is pond in Rottingdean village that was completely dry. It was the first time in memory that it had been in that state, and it hasn't dried out completely ever since. It took over a year before the water level was high enough for ducks to return, but in the spring that followed what little water that was there, was saturated with frog and toad spawn.

It was the same story in a larger pond a few miles away in the village of Falmer. Here there was also newt spawn, and the population of frogs, toads and newts didn't seem to be affected.

Now fish, that's a different story.
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bardofely