FIELD GUIDE TO FARMLAND PONDS

Great crested newt

Farmland ponds provide an important lifeline for this dragon-like amphibian, protected by law.

Barred grass snake

Grass snakes regularly dip in and out of ponds in search of amphibians. Many will lay their eggs within nearby farmland manure heaps.

Common toad

Toads favour big ponds, often alongside fish. Their tadpoles are afforded protection by being poisonous. Unlike frog tadpoles, they shoal.

Water scorpion

This impressive water bug moves stealthily through waterweeds in search of prey. Its tail spine provides a handy breathing tube.

Water spider

The world’s only fully aquatic spider. It makes its living quarters by spinning dome-shaped webs underwater and filling them with air.

Common hawker

Hawkers are among the most imposing of British dragonflies. They patrol pond edges.

Emerald damselfly

Unlike other species, this beautiful damselfly often perches with its wings half-open. It hunts mosquitos and other emerging insects.

Daubenton’s bat

Daubenton’s bats often roost close to ponds. At night, they race over the surface making short work of midges, mosquitos and mayflies.

Greater tussock-sedge

Water voles often sit upon grassy tussocks, using them as platforms on which to eat.

Water mint

Water mint provides a handy place for newts to lay their eggs. A single egg may be glued on each submerged leaf.

Sweet-grasses

When these grasses trail through the water, they create a maze of microhabitats in which invertebrates often thrive.

Rigid hornwort

This submerged free-floating pondweed provides cover to numerous insects and a nursery ground for molluscs, including snails.