Dry summers such as that of 1989 and 1990 reduce many of the countryside's ponds to crisp bare mud, undoubtedly a regrettable occurance. The drying up of a 'permanent' pond kills a proportion of its animal life, but, when a pond refills, wildlife is often quick to reappear. Droughts must have occurred throughout history, and in the lowlands only spring-fed ponds are likely to have been truly permanent, so we should not be surprised by the ability of many aquatic species to cope with occasional dry periods.