Providing clean water for wildlife is one of the simple joys in life. birdsandbees23 had an excellent diary recently about incorporating fresh water features in the garden for wildlife. I’ve had birdbaths of varying kinds for years in my SE Michigan backyard. I’ve learned that, like humans, some birds prefer baths and some prefer showers. In this Dawn Chorus, I’d like to share another way of providing feathered friends with needed water for drinking and grooming.
I’ve had a birdbath fountain that always has lots of business. Some birds prefer a shallow saucer bath. In both, I’ve placed flat rocks to provide different water levels. Last fall, I noticed migrating warblers taking showers in the wet leaves of a big leaf hydrangea. I noticed the same behavior this spring after a rain. So I started spraying the hydrangea a couple times a day, and more often if the weather was warm and we hadn’t had recent rain. I was richly rewarded in seeing many more warbler species than I do in a typical spring migration. Not only that, but they were up close and personal.
First, the setting
I live in just outside Detroit, with a typical sized lot in an older suburb. Over the 23 years Mr. C and I have lived here, we have transformed the blank green sod into a perennial garden with a focus on birds and pollinators. We are fortunate to have mature oak trees throughout our city and the neighboring ones. They support the insect life that draws the warblers.
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Early visitors are easier to see
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A Short Shower Sequence
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An American Redstart family
Some birds still prefer a bath
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Other Warbling Bush visitors, because they are so beautiful
Now it’s your turn. The floor is open for your weekly birdie news!