with them temperatures in the mid 30's (that's centigrade of course), the backyard birds have been enjoying our bird bath immensely. adri & i set up 2 bird baths in the garden way back in 2009, but i think this is the most popular they have been... with the birds of course!
throughout the year, the yellow-vented bulbuls are the most frequent visitors to the bath. now they have been joined by the pied fantails (surprise! surprise! i've never seen them bathing before this summer) and even the eurasian tree sparrows! of course, the bath doubles as a watering hole for them too.
the bird usually come at the hottest part of the day, from after lunch to mid-afternoon. but i've noticed the telltale wet rim (a sure sign that somebody's been splashing about the bath), as early as 7am!
watching the birds at the bath is so entertaining. they start out apprehensively, looking around first, and then staring at the water. i figure they're probably estimating how deep the water is. they hop around all around the rim, gazing at the water.
then a tentative quick jump in the water, a dip lasting less than a second. after that, they get pretty excited and start jumping in and splashing around. they get out and start shaking their wings and tails and preening, and you'd think that was that, but then more often than not, they go for a second or even third round! by this time, they're so excited and pre-occupied with bathing, they hardly mind my watching them from the terrace.
even the tiny eurasian tree sparrows have been using the baths... for bathing and drinking. i made the baths more friendly to the smaller birds by adding large stones to make the water more shallow.
(this wet fellow is always jostling for position at the bath. i can tell it's him because of his bad eye. hope it isn't jack! or he'd be one-eyed-jack instead of jack sparrow!)
the bird baths are so popular these days, there can be a line at the baths...
and the line doesn't necessarily have to be a same-species line!
sometimes, the bird baths aren't the only bathing options!
sometimes, the bird baths aren't the only bathing options!
watching them cool down in the bath, i can't help but feel envious at the birds' beat-the-summer-heat solution. but no pools for humans in my mom's garden, the bathing pools are strictly for the feathered bathers!
check out more photos here: http://katrinket.multiply.com/photos/album/141
I really enjoyed looking at these pictures Trinket :-) I've been wanting to put a bird bath in our garden but i'm scared na baka magka dengue. What do you guys do? Meron small fishes inside the bird bath?
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the 3rd photo. I like seeing all those splashes :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Tina! Kinilig ako sa comment coming from you! :-) Yes, the baths have guppies in them, usually a pair or a trio. Guppies are hardy and small enough for the bath. There're also plants and rocks arranged in such a way that the fishes can hide when the birds come.
ReplyDeleteYeah, me too! Actually 3/4 of my pictures are just water splashes with a blurred bird. :-) They seem to be enjoying splashing about in the water, the basins lose a lot of water after a bird has taken a bath! That coupled with evaporation, laging kailangan i-top off ung water.
ReplyDeleteI also like watching birds when they bathe. There are a lot of pools in the garden where they can bathe. Guess what?!?!?! I have a White Collared Kingfisher that bathes in the swimming pool! I have pics! Will post them soon! Tina was in the house and we were lucky to have spied 2 WCKF bathing. Tine tried to get a picture but they got shy and left...
ReplyDeleteLove your post and pics as usual.
cool! Ganda nung "bath line" =) At least they know how to take turns =P
ReplyDeleteI like the food bowl designed tub!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ixi! Your garden is beautiful, I'm sure the birds consider it an oaisis!
ReplyDeleteWow, I wish I had collared kingfishers, I just hear one around the neighborhood, don't know if there are more. Will await your pictures... (makikitingin kay Adri sa FB!)
Thanks Maia!
ReplyDeleteHehe, yup, buti pa ibon 'no? :-)
i don't think my dogs appreciate feathers in their drinking water though! :-p
ReplyDeleteI like that one too! Nakapikit pa yung YVB, parang toddler na pinapaliguan :o))
ReplyDeletehehe, kahit nagpapagpag na, pumipikit pa din. minsan ung nictitating (?) membrane lang naka-sara, so mukha silang zombie-bird! see here: http://katrinket.multiply.com/photos/album/141/summer_swim_for_the_birds#photo=17
ReplyDelete