Pool Party!
Pool party
A robin and sparrow indulge in a mid-afternoon plunge. If you look closely you can see lots of droplets above them. They made quite a splash!
Spring Bath
Spring Bath
It was not warm today, but this sparrow couldn’t wait for his bath! His buddies were next, but actually thought better of it after being splashed pretty liberally. Or perhaps they didn’t need to actually get into the birdbath after that.
The birds are truly preparing for spring, singing away, pairing off, looking for nesting sites, and eating anything in sight.
Bird Baths Don’t Close on Labor Day, 2009
The pool is still open.
These sparrows will be able to take a dip well into October. The light isn’t quite right to catch all the water droplets splashing out of the birdbath, but you can see a few drops and the little waves. Sparrows never do anything individually, only as groups, and I watch them in all seasons conducting business in the big spruce in my front yard, and rising and falling like leaves to the feeder hanging in the maple very near the birdbath.
Water Warmer (2011)
Water Warmer
Wonder what the conversation around the water warmer was last year?
Instead of a “water cooler” this is a “water warmer” as I put hot water into the plastic birdbath every morning after knocking out the frozen disc and tossing it into the yard. The mourning doves are the first to land and cluster around the steamy water and take a few sips as soon as it’s cool enough, as the center one is having quite a splash. The other birds come in twos and threes, and it seems everyone gets a drink before it freezes again.
Often I’ll refill it partway through the day. Providing water is in some ways more important than providing food in the winter; birds can nearly always glean a few seeds from just about any plant that emerges from the snow, or even find little insects hidden in the buds of almost any tree or shrub, but when water freezes, everything freezes and they are reduced to trying to eat enough snow for water in their day.
Besides that, winter or summer, birdbaths are always entertaining to watch.
Spring Bath
Spring Bath
It was not warm, but this sparrow couldn’t wait for his bath! His buddies were next, but actually thought better of it after being splashed pretty liberally. Or perhaps they didn’t need to actually get into the birdbath after that.
The birds are truly preparing for spring, singing away, pairing off, looking for nesting sites, and eating anything in sight.
Water Warmer
Water Warmer
Instead of a “water cooler” this is a “water warmer” as I put hot water into the plastic birdbath every morning after knocking out the frozen disc and tossing it into the yard. The mourning doves are the first to land and cluster around the steamy water and take a few sips as soon as it’s cool enough, as the center one is having quite a splash. The other birds come in twos and threes, and it seems everyone gets a drink before it freezes again.
Often I’ll refill it partway through the day. Providing water is in some ways more important than providing food in the winter; birds can nearly always glean a few seeds from just about any plant that emerges from the snow, or even find little insects hidden in the buds of almost any tree or shrub, but when water freezes, everything freezes and they are reduced to trying to eat enough snow for water in their day.
Besides that, winter or summer, birdbaths are always entertaining to watch.
Today 