This pond, like Chen’s Pond, is a vernal pond. Fish would eat the amphibian eggs
keeping their numbers down. But, these ponds are too small for significant fish population
so amphibians are the dominant animal life.
A full chorus of tree frogs, also called spring peepers (Hyla cruicifer), often surrounds
this pond. These frogs have a high pitched voice which many people mistake for insects
since the sound comes from up in the trees. A full chorus sound like jingling bells. The
chorus may pause when you arrive, but if you remain quiet it will resume. Tree frogs are
rarely seen since they spend so much time in the trees, but they still need water to
reproduce. They are brown or gray in color and about one inch long.
There are also several wood duck boxes in this area installed by Kevin Stianchi in January
1999. Wood ducks (Aix sponsa) are a colorful duck about the size of a crow. They nest in
cavities over or near water. They are commonly found in wooded swamps, rivers, and other
freshwater areas. The diet of these birds consists mostly of aquatic plants, minnows, and
frogs. They usually brood ten to fifteen eggs per year. They spend March through November
in northern American regions. There have not been any reports of wood ducks using the new
boxes, but some have been seen in the area.
