Adopt-A-Pond Update; Discovery on the Beach

This update is a re-introduction to the Adopt-A-Pond program I'm participating in, with some images of the lake, the pond and my discovery on the beach. For those that don't know the area surrounding the Guildwood Pond, it is situated along the shoreline and only a few metres from a sandy, yet rubble-filled beach. It's a great setting for a variety of reasons and if you look past the concrete debris, it truly is beautiful. 
Ducks in flight, heading out to the lake



















Bull rushes in the pond



















The pond is not that big, but a pond does not have to be large in size to provide value to the natural environment. At its widest it may be about 50 ft and its length is over double that. Small in size but a great home to our local amphibians. 

 The images here are the mid section, where the pond may be 3-4 ft deep and the outer section, closest to the beach where it is the most shallow end. The water level does fluctuate quite a bit due to the close proximity to the shoreline and at times the pond can be flooded by high water levels. 


South east side of pond










Shallow north west end of pond






































I enjoy visiting the area often, because of how close it is to the lake, and I'll often find myself there regardless of the weather. I especially look forward to spring when the melodic sound of frogs are singing and calling against the backdrop of waves rolling onto the beach.

 A few weeks ago there was a tremendous wind storm and I wanted to get down to the water to photograph the waves. I figured I may as well venture over to the pond at the same time. I knew it was early in the season but figured I would mark this date as the official first day of my visit for the Adopt-A-Pond program which includes the Frog Watch and the Turtle Tally. 

 The waves were quite spectacular and I was out for over an hour taking photographs from along the top of the Guildwood revetment wall.
Waves from armour rock revetment, facing towards the east 




Waves facing west















I finally headed over to the area where the beach and pond are and the beach provided a wonderful angle for the waves coming in. I was pleased with how it looked, and even with the construction rubble along this section of shore, it still proved to be a great spot for taking photographs.

Guildwood beach


















I had been out for a couple hours which felt like longer in the strong winds, so I decided I would take a look at the pond and then head back home. Well just as I was turning away from the beach to walk towards the pond, something caught my eye and I looked down onto the sand and there was a little turtle about the size of a tea saucer! What a delightful discovery. Though after I had a little more time to process it, I realized how unusual it is to find a turtle along the shores of a fresh water lake, on a cold and windy day, and especially in March!

 Recalling that turtles hibernate in winter, and they usually don't come out until the month of May, I wondered, what possibly could this little guy be doing on the beach? I assumed he was quite young, and thought perhaps he didn't do a very good job in burrowing himself in mud for winter hibernation and he must have been washed out by the heavy wind and waves. 
Waves coming into the sand, gravel and rocks of Guildwood Beach


















Can you see him in the picture above? He is the little circular shape in the lower left side, above the log and below the rocks. And in the picture below, a closer look at him on the sand! What a little cutie... motoring along on the beach, after his big adventure in the cold, and turbulent waves of Lake Ontario. He seems to be facing the direction of the pond. Is that where he is going? 

 Stay in touch to find out where he is now...


Turtle on the Beach




Jennifer @ 416-871-5132 jenfalvy@hotmail.com

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