Pond dipping at Chisel hurst ponds and Keston Common started my life as a biologist. At 74 now aquatic ecology still fascinates me. This video reminds me of my youth so well.

As a kid (of the late 1950s) we knew so much about nature, on the job so to speak, as we were free to explore, discover and learn. What a carefree, innocent childhood! Thanks for your videos, and for jogging my memories of a bygone age!

As always Liam, an informative video this time on pondlife. Amazing the number of different species that inhabit there! Also good info on the heron and grass snake. Thanks for sharing! 😊 👍

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you Alan. The old myth about herons was a new one for me- even I am always learning from these videos!

@SRC267

20 күн бұрын

I've seen a Heron in my garden, UK. They're spreading to our urban cities ​@@AShotOfWildlife

While climbing a high enough mountain in Ireland there was a small pond up there between two peaks it was full of dragonflies, insects and large black tadpoles probably tiny fish too but I wonder how do the frogs or toads even get up there it's so high up?

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Funnily enough, I was near the top of a mountain in Snowdonia (Aaran fawdy I believe) when I found a pond which was also jammed full of wildlife. I guess it goes to show how even in places like that which seem quite harsh, wildlife can still survive and sometimes thrive!

My friend, very very good and fantastic ok 👍 👍 🤗

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you!

would love to see a great diving beetle again. Back in the hot summers of the 1970s they would divebomb from out of the blue into our paddling pool. By the end of the summer i'd have added plants, snails and fish from the river and the sides would be plastered with snail egg jellies

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Sound like me when I was younger. Every bit of water was gradually turned into something for wildlife.

I like to take breaks and binge these. It’s both informative and entertaining.

@AShotOfWildlife

23 күн бұрын

Thank you very much!

Very good documentary.

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you!

@mimemouse997

23 күн бұрын

@@AShotOfWildlife 😊

Very well presented great information. And enjoyable to watch.

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you Paul!

I'm pondering on getting one for my garden!

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Do it. I have recently put one in and it's already full of life.

@shuggiemcg1

24 күн бұрын

me too

@Niftyknits

24 күн бұрын

go for it! we had a pond dug in our garden when we moved 10 years ago and the wildlife moved in very quickly that same season. We now have lots of newts, leeches, frogs, dragonfly larvae and all sorts of smaller critters. We've watched dragonfly larvae emerging to become dragonflies which is an amazing sight, and also watched a newt devouring one of the few remaining tadpoles - not so amazing!

@paulwarner5674

23 күн бұрын

Don't forget to make it possible for wildlife to get out of the pond. Some fall in and drown as they can't get out

An excellent and educational video. I dug a wildlife pond about five years ago. What amazes me is how the wildlife find it, as you just said some extremely small aquatic creatures are now resident. Nature is amazing

Sadly in my area of Scotland they are bulldozers knocking down trees and filling in the ponds whare frogs and deer and other wildlife lived 7 farms have closed since I was a boy it was once a lovely area thanks for taking me back to my childhood

Literally on my doorstep dude. Give us a shout next time you're there and I'll put the kettle on.

Thanks Liam, our garden pond gives us a lot of pleasure. As well as many of the creatures you mention we have leeches (not my favourite!!) and I now realise, thanks to you, that the "wierd things" I've seen are rat tail maggots.

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Ah, I was going to include leaches in this but forgot until seeing your comment! Glad to help with the rat tailed maggots, I remember the first time I saw them I had no idea what they were either. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to leave a comment :)

@Niftyknits

23 күн бұрын

@@AShotOfWildlife You're welcome, we always enjoy your vids. I've remembered something else we had in a previous pond. A neighbour's house was being insulated and there were lots of those tiny polystyrene beads in the air. Later, we found a caddis fly larva had used them in his case.

I remember looking for this exact video two years ago and not finding anything. Seeing this has just flooded that really specific memory back and I am so relieved for some reason.

This is a great video about our ponds, thank you!

Thanks for the info and enjoyed the presentation overall ☺️ 🐟 🌱 especially the daphnia footage 🔬

Superb as usual, 👍,, we used to catch newts as kids, (many years ago,, 60?), are they still numerous,? I thought they'd massively declined, 🤔,,, thanks for another great informative video,, 👌

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

I think Newts have gone the same way as many other amphibians and declined quite a bit- mainly due to no where near as many people having ponds any more (and fences that stop them from reaching the few ponds that are there). In some areas they are still quite common though.

Another excellent vlog Liam, looking forward to your fresh water post 😁

@AShotOfWildlife

20 күн бұрын

Thank you Nick!

Hi Liam brilliant video love all the wildlife you showed us it’s fascinating what you can find in a pond keep up with your amazing work and videos Bernard

Thanks so much. Pond life was my first obsession from childhood and I think I knew the location of every pond in a ten mile radius from my home. I was also not thrilled to be bitten by a great diving beetle lava, but it did help to identify it!

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

I got bit by an adult rather than a larvae but I suspect it hurts just the same! I am going to go back to my childhood wildlife spots soon and see if any wildlife still lives there.

Thank you for this dip in the pond. I learned a fair bit watching it. I’d never seen a grass snake before. When I go for a walk I pass a pond and stop to watch any coots or moorhens that may be there and sometimes there are small fish too. Thanks again ❤

@AShotOfWildlife

23 күн бұрын

Thank you! I wonder what the small fish you have seen are. They could be sticklebacks if the water isnt flowing and they dont look like they have red fins?

Another great video.

@AShotOfWildlife

23 күн бұрын

Thank you very much!

Another fantastic video Liam. Enjoyed it and learnt from it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm

@eileenpritchard9154

24 күн бұрын

Absolutely wonderful.

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you Patricia!

Absolutely magical! I think newts are so freaky, along with other pond species including dragonflies, because they are reminiscent of prehistoric life forms; or futuristic imaginings, certainly until you get used to seeing them. I'd like to see more on frogs and toads, I think thier importance is underestimated! Nice one Liam. 🌟👍

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you William! I agree, some pond wildlife is so far from the norm that we are used to and so "alien" in behaviour and appearance. I have done a full fact file on common frogs if you are interested? Toads are on my list for the future. Cheers

Excellent stuff, good to see you cover these cool animals :)

@AShotOfWildlife

7 күн бұрын

Thanks. The footage in your video (which I'd already seen before this comment by the way) is brilliant. Good luck with the new channel!

Lots and lots for me to learn here - had no idea about the dragonfly lifecycle and grass snakes being able to submerge for an hour. All good stuff.

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you. Im glad people learn from these videos (I also learn quite a bit whilst I am narrating them too)

Thank you Liam for another very informative video.

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you, I really enjoyed making this one!

I learned loads of new facts from this video so thanks for sharing it, Liam! Great footage, too!

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

Thank you, I really enjoyed making this one and it reminded me a lot of my childhood.

Very interesting video. Remember catching newts from our local ponds when I was young.

@AShotOfWildlife

23 күн бұрын

Thank you! Finding a newt is one of my first memorable wildlife memories and really got me hooked on amphibians and pondlife in general.

As a fifty six year old ex bamboo and small net angler at seven years of age, and now after forty years as a fresh water fly fisherman, I find this uplift as educating and totally charming. Thank you for this, a real pleasure.

@nickm3861

20 күн бұрын

Interesting, I shared a very similar young childhood with the same result, despite living in an urban environment I also became a proponent of the wand. Never went back to the stream of my youth with the fly but still recall seeing something larger than the sticklebacks just out of net reach and wonder what they were. Tantalizing.

Superb 👍👍👍

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you!

Cracking video Liam 👍 what is it about ponds that stir the emotions! I think it’s the mystery of what’s in it. Like many of the other comments here from your viewers , this video takes me back to being a kid where I would spend endless hours staring into a pond, recognising all the creatures you mention here. There are many more to, such as the pond skaters, water boatman and Whirligig beetles. These are all fascinating and weird creatures. That’s it I guess, the pond is a weird place for the weirdest of creatures. I bet many of these have spawned creative ideas for Sci-fi films! Aliens for example with the projected jaw! Anyway thanks again for another great video Liam and I’m looking forward to the one on rivers . Cheers ☺️👍

Another excellent video. Thanks for your dedication Liam

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it!

I find watching your posts relaxing and pleasant as well as informative. Cheers 👍

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you, thats so great to hear!

Great video Liam, I never knew diving beetles carried air under their wing cases. Nice one!

Very informative as usual. I love your work showcasing our wonderful countryside.

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it!

Another great video Liam

@AShotOfWildlife

17 күн бұрын

Thank you, I really enjoyed making this one!

I rarely fail to learn something new from these videos Liam. On this occasion it was the difference between the crests of male Smooth Newt and Great Crested Newt. 🤓

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ dear Liam hiiiii ❤❤❤❤❤ thank youuuuuu ❤❤❤❤

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Hellooo :)

Fabulous Liam, thanks for making this 👍👍

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thanks John! I have been wanting to make this video for a while and will soon go back to my childhood wildlife ponds to see what is still living there.

Thanks liam another great video well done ❤

@AShotOfWildlife

23 күн бұрын

Thank you!

Fabulous video really enjoyed this.

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

Thank you!

Now I know what the orange bellied fish I saw were! They were amazing, their backs were brown, and if they hadn't been splashing around together I'd have missed them. But then they had the bright flame bellies.

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Brilliant! I am glad to have been helpful!

Nice one Liam 👍

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Cheers Mike!

wow great video Liam

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you, I love pondlife so have been looking forward to making this one and reminiscing of my childhood wildlife memories.

Wonderful video as always mate!

@AShotOfWildlife

22 күн бұрын

Thank you!

Thank you Liam !!!

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Cheers Tim!

That was a fantastic video m8 just like you I grew up fascinated by small ponds they are a massive haven for wild life Sadly a lot have disappeared Incredible underwater footage top notch thank you 👍🏼👍🏼🍻

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Cheers Matt! I am going to go back to my childhood wildlife spots (perhaps even this weekend) and see what- if any, wildlife still lives there.

@mattgoodchild8215

24 күн бұрын

@@AShotOfWildlife that sounds amazing and hope it’s just as nice as you remember m8 Unfortunately I already no that most of mine has already gone through housing and now HS2 But I will always have the fond memories which will never fade And now my new nature wonderland living life afloat on the edge of Tamworth amongst nature I’ve got a cuckoo hooting right now Thanks for what u are doing your videos mean a lot 👍🏼🍻

A really great documentary Liam 😀

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you!

Lovely video mate, exactly what KZread should be about. Well done and thank you. Subbed.

@AShotOfWildlife

18 күн бұрын

Thank you! Plenty more to come so stay tuned :)

Glad to see the video! Hoping all is well!

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you! All is good over here :)

What a gorgeous video, thank you!

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you for a great informative video.

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

What a great insight. Thanks.

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed this :)

So informative and interesting, who would have thought our ponds are such a busy ecosystem? You always come away from these videos knowing tons more (shame I'm so forgetful though).

Thanks for the video. I found it very interesting.

Thank you Liam Very informative

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

Thank you!

👏👍👌🥰

Brilliant, I built a pond last Summer, within weeks I had Dragonflies and Frogs as well as waterboatmen and beetles. This Spring I discovered 7 Smooth Newts 😍. It’s been an absolute joy sitting quietly watching them mating and egg laying, wrapping each egg in a plant leaf 🤞 for Newtlets

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

How brilliant! It just goes to show how true it is that building a pond is one of the best things you can do for wildlife! I put one in my garden a few months ago and it is already full of life! Thanks for watching :)

Thank you Liam.

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

You're welcome, thank you fir watching.

I loved this, thank you. I have a small pond and have the usual looking frogs but two years ago, I had a frog that was different. It had longer legs and it was light green with a cream belly with black markings on it. Unfortunately, it was unwell and died. I tried to find out what it was but never did. I wish it had lived.

Fascinating 😍👍

@AShotOfWildlife

23 күн бұрын

Thank you!

creature's abound 😊 reassuring 🎉

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Yes, lot of wildlife still to be found in ponds :)

Super, thank you!

@AShotOfWildlife

19 күн бұрын

Thank you!

Amazing 🎉

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

Thank you!

Great video. Thanks

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you for watching!

So good !

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you!

That was a really good video, thanks so much!

Thanks Liam, i love your videos and enthusiasm another belter. Great way to start the Weekend have a great day. PEACE AND LOVE TO EVERYONE ❤❤.

@AShotOfWildlife

23 күн бұрын

Thank you! I'm already working on the next one which should be out next weekend. Have a great weekend!

Excellent video. I loved pond dipping as a child and this brings it back. I still have an interest in wildlife and ecology.

Great video !! 😊 How about the water scorpion ?? Have you ever seen this amazing pond creature ? 😀 Thanks again …

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

Thank you. I have seen water scorpions a couple of times but I couldn't get any footage of them sadly.

So interesting!

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it!

The rat tail maggots nearly put me off my dinner. Some horrible but always fascinating creatures.

@AShotOfWildlife

23 күн бұрын

Haha, sorry about that :)

@lin462

23 күн бұрын

@@AShotOfWildlife 😅

Big like Liam .I really enjoyed this as it took me back to childhood when ponds were always fascinating .They still are ..Frogs etc , the lot are amazing .Did you use your Go Pro ? If so it's done a great job as have you Like 9 and Many thanks :-)

@eileenpritchard9154

24 күн бұрын

Me too🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thanks Helena. This one was a mixed bag of my gopro footage and footage filmed by others. I think most of the ponds I visited as a child are still there in some form so I might go back some time soon and see what wildlife if any is still living there!

@HelenaMikas

24 күн бұрын

@@AShotOfWildlife Thanks Liam and look forward to your memory lane visit to ponds - I plan to be in UK for several months and do my memory lane .Always fun Have. great weekend .

@HelenaMikas

24 күн бұрын

@@eileenpritchard9154 Childhood is when many of us begin watching nature .Sparrows , starlings , frogs , newts ,cabbage white butterflies .To this day I'm the same :Enjoy the weekend :-)

@eileenpritchard9154

23 күн бұрын

@@HelenaMikas When I was young we were out all day , there was so many things to do, not much money but we made our own enjoyment , I loved looking for slow worms , bugs galore and we would always put them back where we found them, I really miss those days I would take my children out doing the same, they enjoyed it , hope you have good life , GOD BLESS. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Looks dangerous if you needed chainmail on ? 😁 Quality video once again.

@AShotOfWildlife

23 күн бұрын

Haha, that intro was filmed about a month ago when it was a bit colder.

Fantastic video. Unfortunately I had to get rid of my pond because it was too dangerous with young grandchildren around. The Heron was very disappointed as were the frogs who were trying to return to their spawning ground.

@heatherboardman7004

6 күн бұрын

That was daft. Just tell the kids to keep away or cover it with a net. That is why wildlife is declining

👍

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

Thank you!

IMHO you really don’t get the recognition you deserve Liam

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Thanks Charles! These videos get to help a lot of people to connect with the nature around them and although I would love to reach (and teach) more people, I'm grateful for the impact I currently have :)

Are you able to do a video on the introduced frogs into the UK?

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

I can certainly try to track some down. The differences between a couple of the species are very hard to notice so I might not be able to do an ID video for them, but ill see what I can do. Cheers!

my garden pond has a long way to go! but it is mostly there to give a home to my aggressive "pet" goldfish, who keeps down the mozzies (which i am highly allergic to) so i can have a water feature

Thanks Liam..... really good . Enjoyed it .

@AShotOfWildlife

17 күн бұрын

Quickest reply you'll probably ever get on KZread. Thank you for watching, I am currently editing and looking over footage for next weekends video and there's plenty of pondlife in it!

Ps. Maybe it’s too far away to be worth it. But the bluewater shopping centre in Kent has a beautiful nature area you’d like it I think.

@AShotOfWildlife

23 күн бұрын

Thank you! I will keep that in mind if I am ever in the area.

Hi Liam, I've watched your content for some time and always find it interesting. I've been wildlife watching for a few years now, I recently got a camera and have started capturing footage of wildlife at places I visit, now is a great time for footage being mating season! I want to get into wildlife photography more and prefer taking video footage like yours, but am not really good at talking into camera so not sure I want to make a vlog. Any ideas what I could look into doing, maybe sending photos into wildlife competitions? Do you do make this channel purely as a hobby or do you make some money from it- or has it helped you get a job in this field of work? Cheers.

Many ponds today are polluted.

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

Sadly yes, there are still some good one about though.

How do sticklebacks manage to populate different ponds? Its not as if they can swim from one pond to another is it?

@AShotOfWildlife

21 күн бұрын

That's a great question, which is probably the most asked question about them. Where the ponds are within flood plains, they do simply swim across, but in mad made ponds they are usually introduced by accident with pond plants or deliberately. There are a couple of instances of them turning up in places where they definitely haven't been put in by people (apparently) and in these circumstances the only possibility is that they have git stuck in waterbirds feathers and transfered from pond to pond.

Each year I have thousands of tadpoles in my pond but the greatest predators are the common blackbirds which decimates them by positioning themselves at the pond margins and feasting on a the vulnerable, & doubtless tasty prey. Maybe next year I will put the netting back over the pond to reduce this predation, but netting is always a trifle ugly.

@heatherboardman7004

6 күн бұрын

I have a few wildlife ponds but when there are tadpoles I put wire nets over to stop the blackbirds killing them. If is only for a few months which helps them.

What pondlife works in Westminster

@1:45 what was that animal behind the fish? some sort of freshwater cnidarian? Looked a bit like a sea anemone!

Pond snails love chocolate

1:44 hydra?

Oops OO7

Love your videos but a small criticism here; a video about pond life in Britain without a mention of Sunak is somewhat amis. Very informative otherwise. Thanks.

@AShotOfWildlife

24 күн бұрын

Hahaha, I was wondering what you was going to criticise. I have tried to keep this channel non-political but I think the country could do with a "Change"

@corvus1238

24 күн бұрын

@@AShotOfWildlife To be honest I thought you would delete my comment and I wouldn't have blamed you if you had, perhaps it is better not to taint the beauty of nature with the awful stench of politics. I love your channel. Keep up the good work.

Most of them served in the Tory cabinet

I enjoyed, although I was surprised you never found any politicians