Living in the Sonoran Desert, I realize the importance of water. Many animals have adapted to getting the water they need from their food. However, an article suggested setting up a bird bath for the local avians. It suggested a shallow dish with a few rocks to show the birds how deep the water is. I was thinking about setting up such a bath. Probably not a free-standing, colorful one; maybe a dish set on the patio table. Of course, I’d have to fill it every day or repeatedly during the day with the low humidity. High evaporation rate here.
Do I Need a New Birdbath?
I have several hummingbird feeders in different locations in my backyard. Many birds and other animals use them as a liquid source, and the hummers do get a few sips of it.
I have a tiny area of grass that is irrigated. The water often puddles before it soaks into the ground. You must be an “early bird” for this water source. The sprinklers go on at dawn for a limited time. A few of my desert tortoises have recognized this schedule and utilize the standing water most effectively. A few birds join in, but very few.
I’d always wanted a small fountain in my yard. Several years ago, I purchased a stone column fountain at the Gem, Mineral, and Fossil show. It was exactly what I wanted. Small, attractive, and very popular with the birds. Unfortunately, I had to surrender the electrical plug for a more critical piece of equipment, so I had no electricity to run the pump. The fountain has sat waiting for a new plug to be installed for a few years. One of these days, I’ll get it running again.
My creativity is often stimulated by swimming in my pool. As I did my water exercises, I was joined by a mourning dove seeking a drink. Other mourning doves joined in. Using the deep-end stairs to reach down to the water for a drink.
It dawned on me that I didn’t need to create a new water source. I already had a vast one in my yard-my pool! It’s not just a ‘bird bath ‘. It’s a water oasis that attracts a diverse range of species.
Other bird species use the ladder, too. This is a desert cardinal, pyrrhuloxia.
I do have an escape float at one corner of the pool. The bushes near the corner attract animals trying to escape, so the float gives them a way out. They also use it as a drinking perch.
Other non-avian species, along with birds, have been using the pool for water. The paper wasps land, collect the water, and fly off to build their nests. My presence really doesn’t bother them. I try not to be too splashy and break the surface tension holding them up.
In addition, I’ve watched bats skim along the surface, presumably to drink and consume the insects flying above them. Eighteen species of bats were identified during a survey using a detector located on my pool’s diving board.
I am committed to maintaining the water level in my pool, ensuring it’s always high enough for easy drinking from the ladder. This way, I can contribute to the well-being of the wildlife in my yard, without the need to refill a dish several times a day.
So, maybe the water source in my yard, the pool, should be called an ‘animal bath’ instead of just a “bird bath”?
If you’re interested in birds, take a look at my many fun and engaging picture books about birds.
