Midnight Pond

The still waters come to life with the creatures of the night as the moon climbs steadily higher into the sky. Crickets lead the symphony of sounds and are soon joined by a variety of birds. The veil of sounds is dropped over the entire pond and envelops it effortlessly in its cocoon. In the distance, the wailing of birds permeates the night air. A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. They may arise naturally in floodplains as part of a river system, or they may be somewhat isolated depressions (examples include vernal pools and prairie potholes). Usually they contain shallow water with marsh and aquatic plants and animals. A few animals also make ponds, including both alligators and beavers. The type of life in a pond is generally determined by a combination of factors including water level regime (particularly depth and duration of flooding) and nutrient levels, but other factors may also be important, including presence or absence of shading by trees, presence or absence of streams, effects of grazing animals, and salinity.