The Importance of Water
By Myrna Pearman, Mother Nature’s Naturalist and Backyard Birding Expert
Backyard birds, like us, need water to drink and bathe. While water sources are most important during the long, hot summer days, birds will also visit baths throughout the fall and winter.
Interestingly, water (especially if it is moving) will attract more bird species into the backyard than bird feeders will. Water can be provided in a variety of ways, including mud patches, birdbaths, container water gardens, large in-ground ponds or natural wetlands. Garden centres and hardware stores carry a wide variety of birdbaths, including styles with waterfalls and fountains.
I have a heated bird bath on my deck that I plug in during the winter but keep topped up year-round. Last summer, I complemented this bath with a couple of additional small, home-made water features. I was amazed at how popular they were with my backyard birds!
Inexpensive aquarium pumps make creating home-made bird baths both easy and fun. I experimented with a variety of small electric and solar pumps last summer and was delighted with the results.
For one bath, I simply placed rocks around the pump (which came with its own misters) in the heated bird bath (unplugged of course) and kept it filled with clean water. It was a chickadee magnet.
I also experimented using a large flower pot tray as a base, although any other hole-free tray or small tub can be used. The other items needed for this style of bath are two bricks, some small flat rocks and clear tubing (I used plumbers tubing with 3/8” inside/1/2” outside dimensions). I simply filled up the tray with water, placed the pump between the two bricks, then weaved the tubing up through the rocks as I piled them to maximize the dripping sound while also providing shallow bathing and drinking areas. It took several tries to get it right, but the rewards were well worth it.
Bird baths should be located near shrubbery, which provides protective shelter, especially when the birds groom after their ablutions.
If you would like more details on how to build these simple and inexpensive bird baths, drop me an email myrna@myrnapearman.com.
Enjoy your fall birds as they drink and bathe!
Myrna Pearman is the Resident Naturalist at Chin Ridge Seeds. She is a retired biologist, nature writer, photographer and author of several books. Her books are available at www.myrnapearman.com. She can be reached at myrna@myrnapearman.com.
Have more questions? Visit your local Buckerfield's and we'll be happy to help!
