small flightponds

[PotHunter96]

we will hopefully be digging a pond next year and i was wondering how small can a pond be for it to be used as a flightpond it will not be very big probably about 17 by 14 feet or something similar and i was wondering would it be worth feeding up for september or should i just use it for the odd walked up mallard??? also there are quite a few ducks and geese in our area.

[Kes]

The most important dimension is the length of the 'shoreline', to create as much space in the shallows to feed - size in this case isnt important but if its six feet deep all over you are wasting your time.

Cheers

[PotHunter96]

would it be a good idea to have the whole pond a couple of inches deep or would the whole pond become colonized with rushes and things also our friend has a small splash which is a similar size but it fills up when it rains and holds mainly duck but we went to it not long ago and it was a like a wet grass thing and a single jack snipe flitted of it i was wondering what type of species of duck would you expect that to hold we flushed a duck earlyier in the year but couldnt really tell what it was i thought it was a shoveler but it went away from us then cirled round and sped off! would it be worth flighting that?

[Kes]

would it be a good idea to have the whole pond a couple of inches deep or would the whole pond become colonized with rushes and things also our friend has a small splash which is a similar size but it fills up when it rains and holds mainly duck but we went to it not long ago and it was a like a wet grass thing and a single jack snipe flitted of it i was wondering what type of species of duck would you expect that to hold we flushed a duck earlyier in the year but couldnt really tell what it was i thought it was a shoveler but it went away from us then cirled round and sped off! would it be worth flighting that?

 

Hi.

You need a deeper part to the pond, otherwise it will freeze and become overgrown quickly. I'd make it like a flowers petals to maximise shoreline with the deepest bit near the centre. You should get teal and mallard if you feed the shallows with a couple of buckets of barley and there will be other shore species widgeon etc which you could flight. Make sure you build a 'blind' or hide at the same time so it fits in. I would not plant too much pond vegetation as it will grow strongly - maybe a single or couple of small clumps of great reedmace.

Cheers

[PotHunter96]

Hi.

You need a deeper part to the pond, otherwise it will freeze and become overgrown quickly. I'd make it like a flowers petals to maximise shoreline with the deepest bit near the centre. You should get teal and mallard if you feed the shallows with a couple of buckets of barley and there will be other shore species widgeon etc which you could flight. Make sure you build a 'blind' or hide at the same time so it fits in. I would not plant too much pond vegetation as it will grow strongly - maybe a single or couple of small clumps of great reedmace.

Cheers

thank you

[PotHunter96]

Hi.

You need a deeper part to the pond, otherwise it will freeze and become overgrown quickly. I'd make it like a flowers petals to maximise shoreline with the deepest bit near the centre. You should get teal and mallard if you feed the shallows with a couple of buckets of barley and there will be other shore species widgeon etc which you could flight. Make sure you build a 'blind' or hide at the same time so it fits in. I would not plant too much pond vegetation as it will grow strongly - maybe a single or couple of small clumps of great reedmace.

Cheers

wigeon! i ld love to have a go at wigeon but would they come even if there arent any around my area? well there were some ducks one day but they were following after a buzzard that had taken one of them and they were quite a way away they were making a strange whistling noise i think they were either teal or wigeon?

[Kes]

I think you are only likely to attract either those birds which are easily flightable (teal, mallard). Other shore species would be attracted if the pond is close enough to the shore and visible in moonlight and, of course, presents food regularly.

Still if you have a hide and a spare hour, what better way could there be than to spend it by your own pond, anticipating the arrival of a tasty mallard !!!

All the very best.

[PotHunter96]

I think you are only likely to attract either those birds which are easily flightable (teal, mallard). Other shore species would be attracted if the pond is close enough to the shore and visible in moonlight and, of course, presents food regularly.

Still if you have a hide and a spare hour, what better way could there be than to spend it by your own pond, anticipating the arrival of a tasty mallard !!!

All the very best.

thank you also are there any good alternatives to barley or wheat, potatoes or are turkey pellets good or any other good alternatives?