I’ve figured out the perfect place for a birdbath. I wish I’d thought of it earlier this spring before we had the best spring bird migration I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime.
We have a couple of very tall arborvitaes that are getting a bit leggy on the bottom. We’ve trimmed up the branches so there’s some bare space there. I nestled one of my birdbaths into that area in early summer, and I was amazed at how many more birds visited the bath knowing they could just jump back into the trees at the first sign of danger. Even a few late-arriving warblers made regular visits.
Eventually I added a second smaller bath for ground-feeding birds and pesky raccoons that like to dump out my birdbaths at night:
Something else that I always include when I place a birdbath is a trellis. If the bath is located out in the open it gives the birds a place to land and wait in line for a drink or bath. It also serves as a bit of protection from swooping hawks. I really didn’t need one next to the baths under the arborvitaes, but the neighbors on the other side of those trees have several cats and I wanted to make it more difficult for them to pounce on unsuspecting birds.
Next spring I plan to set up my birdbaths BEFORE the spring migrants arrive. The beautiful wood warblers are usually pretty shy about visiting birdbaths in open yards, but this sheltered location might be just the thing that draws them down from high in the treetops. I’ll be waiting with my camera…