I just scared away a little green heron that was fishing in the draining pool for frogs, tadpoles and maybe small snakes. All the big snakes have already escaped the dropping water level. The heron had been perching on that white hose floating in the middle for several days now. This is the worst the pool has ever gotten. A combination of my knee problems, travel, a failed pump, and a restricted budget combined to keep the water green through the cold months.
I bought a small sump pump and dangled it off the diving board and it’s been running several days now, slowly draining off the water. I’ve got it suspended well above the mud and leaves so it hasn’t clogged up yet. I have to get the debris removed and the sides scrubbed as well as I can before the pool repair people come out and repair the main pump. I didn’t want to immediately try to suck mud and leaves through a new pump.
There are also probably several hundred tadpoles still in the deep end and I’d love to rescue some of them. I tried last time with little success.
UPDATE: I was wrong about the big snakes. One was hiding under the leaves when I tried to scoop him up. He made a mad slither down to the water.