Catbird after a bath

We have three bird baths in our woods and all of them are popular with birds in the summer. They know where to get a drink of water or take a refreshing splash on a hot afternoon.

Sometimes a bird will just wade in the shallows a bit but some birds prefer an all out splash.  One robin dives in and splatters all over, sending a good bit of the water over the side. robin bath1.0001 (video)

The catbirds seem to visit the bath almost daily. A lovely male catbird prefers the garden area and often perches on a high branch to sing his improvised and varied songs.

Summer Tanager

The scarlet tanager (and the summer tanager) visit the birdbaths when passing through the area although they are often in the treetops where we only catch a glimpse of their vibrant reds.

Mourning Dove

A pair of mourning doves are regulars to the feeders in the morning, spending hours walking around on their pink feet under the feeder to find seed the other birds discard.  Sometimes one will stop by the birdbath to wade or get a drink.  They are very shy and will fly away with whistling wings if another bird approaches.

bluebird fledglings

One afternoon we watched as a mother bluebird tried to get her youngsters interested in taking a bath. They couldn’t imagine what she was going on about as she splashed around a few minutes and then urged them to take the plunge. None even would put a foot in the water but  looked at this new experience as something to be avoided.

Sometimes it is a chore to keep three birdbaths filled but our resident feathered friends count on us!