The bird that showed up at the Martin house was an American Kestrel. One of my favorite raptors. They'll definitely help you with the mice during the day.
Not sure if this has been recommended, but you could use one section of the Crimson Oak wood and CNC the topography of the pond with a glass too as a coffee table. Then you could make little replicas of the different structure inside the pond to show your spots and areas of interest.
I've said it before, but can't say it enough. Thanks so much for taking us along on this pond build. I look forward to the updates for years to come. Very interesting process, and you seem to know what you are doing expertly.
The rabbit/owl stand-off was incredible. I don’t think we appreciate the world of prey and predator enough with wild animals. That wasn’t luck on the rabbits part, it really seems like he knew what he was doing to successfully escape.
@@possum8723 Apparently moving after you think an owl has targeted you, is selected for in evolution. And this rabbit used it. I don't understand that the owl did not see or hear the rabbit after it moved. It went to where it last sensed it was, much like an alligator or crocodile do when locate a target and then submerge and attack an animal on the shore.
Just discovered your channel yesterday and literally binged all the pond bulding videos. What a pleasure to watch the freshly uploaded video right after ending 9 hour night shift. Love from India.
Hey, with you setting up all the houses for the animals. Don't forget the bats!! You may not notice them but they are definitely there. And your pond will be sure to attract some bats for the insects and for a drink. Put up a bathouse and watch them flood in!
I bet there's already a bunch of them doing loops around that pond at dusk every evening. I used to throw rocks in the air at my local pond and watch the bats dive at them - you would pretty much think they were birds until you noticed the slight differences in shape and the way they would fly. And of course, no bird ever dove for a thrown rock. Bats are amazing, great for keeping mosquito populations down, and compliment the whole scenario with their night time antics - they go to work when everyone else calls it a day. Great suggestion, man!
The bird on the smaller house appears to be a Kestrel or similar, small bird of prey that hunts smaller birds. It would be wise to put the smaller housing by the tree line or camp where the birds would be less exposed
Great looking pond! We have one similar in size. One thing we have you may want to consider is shade. Maybe plant some trees around the edges. Would help the eco system of the pond and shade during those hot summer days.
The bird on the Martin house was an American Kestrel I believe they are the smallest members of the Falcon family and mainly feed on insects. Really cool birds!
They are not the smallest member of the Falcon family but they are the smallest member in North America. There are several species that are much smaller!
Slab idea - bear with me. I went on a glass-bottom boat tour as a kid and it was mesmerizing. Later I went on a cruise where they turned off all of the lights and you could see all of the sharks and fish beneath the lit hull of the boat. It was unforgettable. What if you made a small, glass (or thick acrylic) bottom deck embedded within those thicc red oak slabs. You could put a light underneath the deck so you can see and enjoy the fish at night while sitting on the deck. (Also eliminating the need for an underwater camera and the fam will love it). Love the videos, been following for a while. Cheers.
You should use the slabs to make a bulletin board that has the history of the pond and a detailed description of the whole process, like what they have at state parks.
Would you consider moving the perch on the owl house to the top of the house. Possibly make it a larger diameter also! Those owls want to be up higher than any obstruction. The house definitely would block their view in its current location. Love this whole series.
Moby has gotten so big! He will be ready for the backyard pond for sure. You could use one of the slabs to make a bench for the dock or the cabin porch?
For the slabs, you could use one/two of the slabs for the headboard & frame of the bed in the cabin! That way the tree is a big part of the master bedroom. seal the face of the slab and you could even look into a sealant for the bark that remains on the slab.
Love all the videos you put out. I have a suggestion on the owl purch, you should reposition that broom handle to the top of the house it would probably get used more in that position. Keep doing what your doing the pond looks great.
Purple Martins are not very independent birds. It's usually difficult to get them established with predators and competitors like starlings and sparrows. The bottom of the pole should have grease or something to prevent raccoons climbing up it. You should also put some dry pine needles in the houses. This will improve your chances of having martins stay once they check it out
Love the videos! Have you thought about planting a tree on the island? A willow would be awesome, but so would an oak tree. Super awesome 10 yrs from now!
Eagle name: Old Abe The nickname of the 101st Airborne Division, "Screaming Eagles," originates from the division's insignia, a bald eagle on a black shield. "Old Abe" was the eagle mascot of a Wisconsin regiment during the Civil War. The 101st was formed as a reserve unit in Wisconsin shortly after World War I and included "Old Abe" as part of the division's insignia.
Name the Eagle Freedom eagles are my favorite, would be awesome to have one show up at my own pond if i had one. ive see some up at Logan Martin in Pell City, and even more at Lake Guntersville, AL
Sure is. They like man made boxes but that entrance is to large for them. The eagle(male) must of had a failed nest or is outside it usual hunting grounds. Their offspring this year should be around 6-8 weeks by now.
You could maybe use one of the oak slabs to create an "entrance sign" at the beggining of the pond dock as if its a doorway but with no doors, just a sign that is around 7 feet above at the entrance (as soon as I wrote this down in the comments section you said it in the video!!! sounds like a great idea to me)
Really enjoy your videos and appreciate your time making them. install two bluebird(each end of the pond) nesting boxes, they eat bugs. Remember to put a predator guard on the pole(metal pipe) to stop snakes. They will nest twice a year. Clean out after each hatching.
Unless you want to keep buying minnows, you'll need to build some protected ledges/overhangs for their continued breeding. Fathead minnows need those overhangs in the form of shelf rocks, C-PVC pipe, cinder blocks, or drainage pipe pieces with proper protection around the structure to keep the bigger fish away. Want to have big game fish? Focus on what makes their food have an excellent place
This has been so amazing watching this from when it was just dirt out there on the farm. Thanks for making this content! Excited for what is yet to come!
Hey my dad said he appreciates your comment! He said it’s been a long journey but he’s glad that you came along for the journey! Many more videos to come this year! Thank you!
I like the name Vega which is a constellation in the summer sky also known as the “Swooping Eagle I also like the name Scout as it seems he is scouting the area for food 😊 Love your content BTW! The amount of wildlife around your land is phenomenal. I look forward to you new uploads every week! Thank you!
Don't ever stop this series! Look forward to seeing the thumbnails change from an orange triangle and green water to a lush green triangle and blue water!
If you want the eagles to nest put a pole about the size of a telephone up with a plywood platform and they may nest. My work has some marsh land on the other side of the river and did this. It took a little while but they came around and nested.
Most likely the eagle already has a home in the mobile River Delta region. There are several eagles nests throughout the Delta. They even repurpose some old ostrich nests as well
You could make a swinging bench. Use the slab as the bench. If you have some bigger limbs for support. Small limbs for arm rests. Then top it with a Crimson Red canvas cover for shade.
You might think about moving the owl purch from under the front to just below the top, in back. This would be to allow them to land or take off with wings spread and use it as well as the roof. Field of view as well. Eagles prefer Peking Duck 2 to 1!!!!
It would be cool to see you use the slabs as some kind of shelf/ rod holder where you can store your fishing poles for the pond, you could even make a little spot on it to display pictures and memories made at the pond
You've got to make a bad ass epoxy dinner table for the cabins out of one of these slabs. Also, there is no other name than Murica for the eagle! Love the videos, keep em coming!
Its always great to see another pond video man. Also the fluffy bird that was sitting ontop of the martin house is a kestrel. Theyre small falcons that love fields and eat bugs and mice, so they are very helpful!
Make some backless benches for various points around the pond. Mint is getting so big. He’s going to out grow his tank before long since you’re feeding him so well. Love your vids I look forward to Sunday’s for various reasons and your shows are one of them.
wow how time fly's, feels like just yesterday you were building the backyard pond. awesome job man! having a blast taking this journey with you and the fam.
Great to see the pond and projects around it grow every week. I have a suggestion for longer, slimer pieces of the Red Oak ; you could split them lengthwize and make some really cool benches to go with a large table!
Any update on the coffee table that you were going to make with the topography map of the pond carved into it? I thought that was such an awesome idea, so I hope you are still going to do it. As for a Bald Eagle name, America just seems fitting🇺🇸
Maybe some of the wood could be used as a plaque for recording different pond memories/records? Like which family member caught the biggest fish of the year, or maybe hold a fishing tourney tradition and the winner gets their name recorded, etc. My grandparents held a foosball tournament every Thanksgiving, and the winning team had their name engraved on a plaque in the living room. Lots of great memories and fun!
Before each video in this series has come out, I've already searched RU-vid for it twice. Guaranteed. It's like my brain goes "you need more pond build content, check if they released the next episode and you just didn't notice!" and when it isn't out, sometimes I just re-watch the old ones. I guess this is my ASMR 😅
I started watching these video’s because I love to Bass fish and I enjoyed seeing the backyard pond being built. But this new pond has everything you could want. These videos keep getting better and better. How awesome is it to have all the wildlife come, and be able to watch them. And an EAGLE! WOW!! I can’t wait to watch some Night fishing at the lights. I know it will be a while but it will be worth it.
Amazing pond and cool projects. I think if you move the broom handle on the owl house to the top the owls might perch on it. With it being low the house kind of obstructs part of their view and they may not want to perch there.
We get a lot of Bald Eagles up here in Manitoba and NW Ontario over the Summer and on the particular lake I fish there are about a half dozen eagles that sit up in the trees and pick out the surface level fish. The largest I've seen picked out of the water by a Bald Eagle was a 5-6 pound Northern Pike. You may not want your eagle to hang around.
Yeah. I have watched eagles in northern Wisconsin catching pike and muskie that looked like they were carrying off logs. They would also often prey on ducks.
Seeing the pond come along has been super cool, but I think I might enjoy the animal updates a bit more! I love how you let the wild ones do their thing, even the predators. You get a lot of neat footage!
Hi loved the bild have been watching every update that has come out on it . With those slabs that you got why don't you get a 3D layout of the pond and get all the structural elements put it then epoxy it so it looks like water . Think that will make a awsome table to put in your cabin .
The shot of the Eagle shows just how beautiful and majestic those birds actually are. My suggestion for the name would be Eddie or just Ed. Roxy the squirrel looks huge. Is he larger than normal?
You could supplement the whole fish feed with some crushed feed. You could blend some feed and throw it in once a day, just to make sure the fish are getting the nutrition they need.
Absolutely loving all the pond video builds. You had a few setbacks but you always have some creative ways to work around. Can’t wait to see the fish dump. Eagle name: Scout or General sound fitting! Wood idea: bench on the dock or engraved sign with a pond map and all the people who have helped make it happen, like a dedication of sorts. Bat houses would be awesome to have when the fish camp comes around. Can’t wait till the next video! Cheers from NC!
I think a good name for the eagle would be Liberty. Also, I think a neat idea for the pond would have some underwater cameras at the lights to see how the fish do.
You have literally built the paradise me and my brother plan to start in a year or two when we buy land. We live in TN and are 21 and 24 so still fresh but it shouldn’t be hard we been doing projects together all our lives. Your channel helps a lot too we already had a lot of the same plans but you put a picture to it for us. Thanks for the great videos keep it up we’ll keep liking and commenting.
The eagle is majestic, what a great reward that must be. I'm thinking maybe "King", since he's top of the food chain and it works with Crimson Oak. Great update!
The bald eagle is awesome, and I think Freedom would be a great name for him because he represents this great country we live in where we have the freedom and opportunity to do what we want on our own property
Love the progression of the pond, can't wait for each episode. For the Slabs could they be protective enough to make some benches around the pond or even on the dock to sit for leisurely fishing. Not first, tho, I do like Freedom for the Eagle and if you luck out to get a second, sounds like it would work with its name as Liberty.
40 years living on the Farmington River in CT, I've seen bald eagles take about a dozen fish. Every time it was a 1.5 to 2 pound fallfish. I don't think it's a matter of preference though. Fallfish are just easier targets. Trout is definitely the tastier, more calorie packed, and nutrient rich meal. But fallfish spend much of their time in the current which leaves them far more exposed than the trout hiding in current breaks. Trout also have the advantage of astonishing bursts of speed.
I've seen a lot of eagles up here in Minnesota, and while I'm no expert, they tend to eat dead or sick fish a lot more often (if not always). If the fish is more than a couple of inches under the water I don't think they would be in much danger unless they are going to be a meal of last resort. Maybe it's not like that everywhere but I've seen eagles pick up fish off the water more times than I can count and most of the time I have seen the specific fish before the eagle has just because I got there first and it was floating around.
It’s crazy how fast it seems this was built… I built a 6 foot by 6 foot pond that was 4 feet deep for my ducks when I was younger and it took us a year! 😭
I think a good use of some of the slab's would be to use them to make some sliding Barn Doors, I don't know you're plans for the cabin but I think it would be very cool you could even do epoxy but im not sure if they would be too heavy possibly might not work.
I love what you are doing with your land. You have created a wildlife heaven for the animals. I plan to do something similar in the future and I live in New Zealand.
Another epic update about the pond and surrounding area. That is so awesome about the Bald Eagle! The other small bird on the new bird house looked like a peregrine falcon. Such beautiful slabs of wood, maybe a couple small round tables with log legs for the dock and other areas!? Poor Hooter for missing out on a rabbit meal lol. Y'all definitely have yourselves a dream place!
Perhaps you're not old enough to remember those historic words in 1969, "The Eagle has landed..." - but since the Eagle has now landed at the Crimson Pond I'd suggest he be named Apollo. That also leaves plenty of options for giving any potential mate a suitable matching name.
If staying with the space theme, how about Glennda. John Glenn was the 3rd American in space and the Eagles are the 3rd Bird of Prey to visit the pond.
Have you walked the shoreline to see if the minnows and bluegill have spread out over the pond? That would be a fun watch! Love the videos, keep'em coming
I strongly recommend that you trim the ends of the oak slabs to remove where it has already split and then reapply the sealant. If not, the splitting will continue. Good luck.
Yup. We used to have nesting pair at our farm in Pennsylvania. They can take other small birds so some species may be reluctant to nest in an area where they are active.
You can make a couple of benches around the pond so that if you get tired after a long walk or maybe just want to enjoy the breze you can sit there. Also its wonderful for chatting with friends. You can place them under the trees.
Have been watching this project with great anticipation. Loving the content so far. :D Name the eagle Altair (It's the 12th brightest star in the sky and one of our nearest bright neighbors. Also part of the Aquila constellation is located in the northern sky, on the celestial equator. The constellation’s name means “the eagle” in Latin )
Look up your DEEP laws on the legality on feeding them cus I'm pretty sure its illegal to feed or interact with an American eagle unless you have a license for it.
