Adding a fountain to a pond brings the music of water to the garden. It can also bring the music of birds, since birds are attracted to wet places. Bird watchers will delight in finding new ways to bring birds to the areas around the home.
Urban and suburban areas around the world are rapidly losing their natural wetlands. By creating a larger pond near the home, a homeowner is creating a valuable habitat for wildlife.
Installing a Fountain for the Birds
Bird baths and fountains are especially important to birds during the summer months, when other small sources of water can dry up. Most small birds use fountains to splash water on their wings to clean them. Crows love to dip food into moving water, like a fountain or a pondless waterfall. Water is also essential in the winter, when resident birds can have a hard time finding fresh, unfrozen water to drink. Remember to keep the bird bath clean!
Choosing a Bird Fountain or Bird Bath
The ideal fountain for birds has a gradual slope downwards and is difficult for cats and other predators to access. The bird bath should be relatively shallow. Birds don’t like it when they can’t tell how deep the water is, so add a stick or a rock where they can perch and gradually access the water.
Create Hiding Places for Birds
Edge the pond with marginal plants like reeds and sedges so that birds have places to hide. Shrubs or an area covered in vines make secret hideaways where birds can roost. While larger plants near the pond can hide predators, they also provide a refuge for birds. Ideally, install the pond near an area with a few trees so that birds have places to hide and rest. This will involve more pond maintenance in the fall, but the wildlife is worth it. An old tree is an even more valuable addition to a pond environment, and dying trees should be cherished. They provide very important homes for cavity-nesting birds, and old trees near ponds are especially rare in more urban areas.
Essential Bird-Watching Equipment
With the right environment and equipment, the water gardener can easily turn into an avid bird watcher. Choose a window that has an excellent view of the pond, and place binoculars, a sketch pad, and a local field guide near the window. For those who love to identify birds, a small hand held recording device is very helpful. Wake up in the morning to bird songs, and record those unknown songs for further research. An inexpensive digital camera is also a good piece of equipment to have on hand, as new species of birds may begin to flock to the pond. A digital camera is a quick and portable way to record their markings and behavior.
Bird watching can be a quiet and delightful hobby, made even more interesting when the bird watcher has the ability to create an environment for the birds. Developing a pond or installing a water fountain in the yard gives urban gardeners a chance to create habitat for wildlife and to get to know a fascinating group of animals.
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