Pond Preparations

We knew that there was a hole around our main dam that holds the water through our ponds and the neighbour's system. But where? Around the main face there were no cavities or flow, nor around the edge that we suspected of leaking. We figured it was an eel hole. Eels are tough. The buggers are relentless when they find their way blocked and over a period of time find ways of boring through mud and clay and reaching the far side. Nothing anyone can do about that. So the plan was for me, Frank, Tom & dad to get into the ponds, fix the dam if possible, mark the ponds and put out the feeders. When we arrived we found that foot wide hole in the floor where rats had chewed away at rotten fibrebord - the leakiing roof had caused the board to turn to sort of a dusty weetbix. So Tom and Frank got on with repairs, while dad and I opened the dam and began to search for the leak. We finally found it, about 4 feet up and oppsite where we had suspected, a good sized eel hole. We jammed mud & concrete bags in and seemed to have blocked it quite well. Back to the hut we spent an hour cutting firewood to dry for the season.

A couple of jobs down. Even so we were now well into the afternoon, with the feeders to set up and marking up to do. We'd brought in 240kg of maize, the big feeder and a new one that dad had picked up for the western edge of the ponds. Marking up Bollocks on the way, we moved down and tagged Puru then went to put out the big feeder. Stariaght away I saw piggie tracks - never seen them here before. We put up the big feeder and loaded it.



Over to put out the new feeder, then we filled buckets to feed at Watson's, McLennan's, Willow and Park. Some of the maimais are pretty bare, we're going to need an absolute shit-load of tea tree this year. Park needs a heap (big maimai), McLennan's at least 10 bundles...

By now it was getting close to 4pm and I knew that it was a bigger day than i would have thought. The tide was below the boat ramp when we left to go home, but we managed to winch the boat on anyhow. Met Gus at the ramp, no water at all in the Big pond. Drought.

And overall, not that many ducks around. Would have been lucky to see 50.