Pond Ice Melting

This year our pond began melting much sooner than usual. I noticed an otter eating a large fish on the rim of the hole in the ice made by the bubbler that oxygenates the pond so our fish don't smother. I set up the game camera to see if I could ascertain what specie of fish the otter catches. I never did find out but the sequence of noon photos (the camera automatically takes a photo at midnight and at noon) show the progression of the pond melting, refreezing and then fully opening to the sky.

I'll put the bubbler away until the next time the pond freezes over!

February 21: Edge of the Hole in the Ice Made by the Bubbler

February 22: Not Much Has Changed

February 23: The Edge of the Hole Had Refrozen the Night Before

February 24: Quite a Bit More Ice Melted Overnight

February 25: Rain Is Helping to Melt Even More Ice

February 26: About Half the Ice is Gone Off the Pond

February 27: Old Man Winter Closed Some of the Open Water

February 28: Balmy 56 Degrees Is Melting Ice Quickly

February 29: Ice All Gone

March 1: Cool But Still No Ice

March 4: By Noon, Very Thin Ice Has Returned

March 4 - 5PM: Open Water Has Expanded

March 5: Some Open Water has Refrozen

March 6: More Open Water and Very Thin Ice

March 7: Ice Gone, Not to Return (I Hope) Until Next Winter

March 8 AM: Our Goose Pair Returns

March 8 - Noon: Tranquil 58 degrees!

March 8: PM - Geese Return

March 10: Cloudy & 60 degrees!

March 11: Overcast and 50 degrees!

March 12: Sunny and 56 degrees!

March 13: Still 56 degrees!