"Big Red"
a Big Red [aka Flame] Skimmer - |
April 2000 |
We've built our pond in our Sebastopol,
California backyard, in the hole that was left when we took down our above
ground pool (the deep end was dug in). We've used mostly native plants, many of
which we have found along the roadsides from San Francisco, CA to Tillamook, OR.
A lot of the fun in building this pond has been finding the plants, identifying
them, and just seeing what will survive and what won't. We've also collected
our own rocks. One of our biggest joys is seeing all the `critters' our pond supports,
especially the dragonflies!
We encourage everyone to consider putting in a pond for wildlife.
It is a
real joy.
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Read my articles:
Pleasures of Wildlife Ponding. List of steps to Build a Pond for Wildlife List of CA/Western USA Plants for use in ponds We encourage you to click
We no longer advocate the use of mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis for mosquito control unless you live in the midwest or southeast U.S. where these fish are native. We've had negative experiences with their preying on our native western Pacific/Chorus Frog eggs and pollywogs and the dragonfly/damselfly eggs and nymph. If you live in the west, please consider using mosquito dunks, or a native fish such as Killifish or Sticklebacks that our tree/chours frogs, dragonflies, etc. have evolved with. Here is a link to a site that sells mosquito dunks . I don't know anything about this site, but I did find it as a link I could point folks to. Most garden centers should sell this donut-shaped bacillus (BTi) 'dunk', please look for them. They have ONLY members of the diptera family, such as mosquitoes and black flies. They DON'T harm dragonflies, butterflies, cats, dogs, horses or people, etc. I'm considering writing a book titled: Build a Pond for Wildlife. If you have comments or could make contributions of stories, photos or ideas please click here to email me. |
Click to view our pond's development during its 1st year - 1996. Click 2nd year - 1997 to see the article about our pond's 2nd year. Click here for the 3rd year maturation in 1998. This spot is for 1999 The wildlife pond enters the new century: Year 2000 Year 2001
2002 started out with SNOW!
2003 spring and fall pond pictures
2004 pond pictures
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Below are links to the CA & SW Dragonflies websites I've built & also links
that go to my books,
INCLUDING OUR NEW COLORING BOOK and some other books that we now sell:
This will take you to our
California Dragonflies Site with links to pictures for identifying all of California's
damselflies and dragonflies.
and
this link will take you to our
Southwest Dragonflies Site with links to pictures for identifying all the
damselflies and dragonflies that are known to occur in California, Nevada, Utah,
Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
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A Coloring book that teaches about dragonflies and dameslflies Dragonflies of North America, A Color and Learn Book with Activities 2007 Click here for more information
by Kathy Biggs and Tim Manolis Azalea Creek Publishing |
A guide for identifing the dragonflies & damselflies of the greater Southwest Common Dragonflies of the Southwest A Beginner's Pocket Guide 2004 Click here for more information
by Kathy Biggs Azalea Creek Publishing |
Our updated and expanded dragonfly guide for California: "DRAGONFLIES of California and Common Dragonflies of the Southwest A Beginner's Pocket Guide"
useful in OR and WA too! by Kathy Biggs Azalea Creek Publishing |
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A CD that prints out the coloring book, one page or the whole book! Dragonflies of North America, Color and Learn CD-Rom PDF file, usable on PCs & MACs
May 2007 |
The BELOMO 10x Triplet, Loupe and Lanyard Click here for more information
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Click on any of the covers/images to order a copy/item by
check/money order or PayPal/credit card from us (all ship from this website within 2 days and all of the Pocket Guide series books are signed by the author) Or click on the names to the below to order thru Amazon.com. (Be certain to use your back button to come back to here
though!).
Common Dragonflies of California Dragonflies of California and Common Dragonflies of the Southwest Common Dragonflies of the Southwest |
Click here to read the article An Interview with Kathy Biggs, on Dragonflies, Dragonfly Ponds and how She Became an Author
If you have a pond, would like to make one, are interested in California native plants or wildlife, or just would like to contact us, please do so bigsnest@sonic.net
| In 1998 this pond site received a "Links2Go Key Resource award" in the Ponds topic!
We proudly display the award, which is presented to "Fewer than one page in one thousand....based on how actual page authors ..... index and organize links on their pages." |
This site was visited 86,336 times between when the counter was put on
it at its first web-host site (August 29, 1998) and when it was
moved to PowWeb on March 25, 2002.
Since it's move, this site has had
visits by folks interested in ponds.
We thank you for your interest - Kathy Biggs
This site was moved to PowWeb because of their very attractive web packages.
They have a nice referral plan.
Click on the PowWeb image above to move your site there! Thanks!!