New light on an old pond

I'm doing a lot of refurbishment of the garden this year.  Two or three bad winters and a lot of neglect on my part had left it looking like a jungle.  Apart from the winter losses I've had to thin out and remove some old established plants because they were simply too big for their position and choicer plants needed the room.  I've also had to reroute a pathway which is now in the wrong place as things have grown over the years.  All of which has left me with a lot of gaps.  But its also let more light into the garden - and that has its own consequences.

One sacrifice has been an old lacecap hydrangea from a position far too close to my small pond.  It's now a stump awaiting removal - something for a slightly cooler day than the last few.  In a  way I'll be sad to see it go - it was a gifted cutting from an old friend's garden. But cutting the top growth away has let a lot more light into the pond - and that, in turn, has had a dramatic effect on it's wildlife utility.  I haven't seen any dragon or damselflies in the garden in recent years but today a very welcome visitor turned up and hung around for the afternoon.  Pyrrhosoma nymphula, the large red damselfly, took up residence for a short cameo appearence.  I didn't have a chance to get a shot so these are two of my stock shots from last year.  I hope it returns - and brings its relatives.

Pyrrhosoma nymphula head on

Pyrrhosoma nymphula side on