Written by Panorama resident, Judy Murphy, on March 17th, 2014
Looking out the sliding glass door at the birdbath this morning, I saw signs of spring as juncos, robins, and chickadees jumped in the water for a long-awaited bath. I know that bird feeders can attract rodents, especially if seed is dropped on the ground, so I have a birdbath instead. I found that putting the top of a birdbath on the ground, rather than using the birdbath on a stand, seems to attract more birds to drink and take a splash. Last August, in the space of a half hour, I took photos of a flicker, red-breasted nuthatch, robin, dark-eyed junco, golden-crowned kinglet, chickadee, and spotted towhee busy at the birdbath, with a bonus of a hummingbird drinking nectar from nearby monkey flowers. By placing the birdbath near a small tree and bushes, the birds have places to perch while checking out the vicinity for competitors or predators. During my August photowatch, the birds all waited their turns, except the flicker that became impatient watching the juvenile robin splashing up a storm. A stare-down ensued between the robin and flicker—you can see who won in the photos below. I am eager to see what the birdbath brings this summer. We’re already off to a great start!
My favorite photos were of the hummingbird, so oblivious to all that was going on around the birdbath, and the nuthatch, whose incessant honking belies its tiny size.