[Tweeters] re chickadees and feeders

[Mark Egger via Tweeters]

Dennis’s post stimulated me to share my experiences with a hanging bird bath/watering hole I’ve maintained in my yard for years (not far from Dennis’s BTW). I don’t maintain a feeder, except suet when there’s snow, but I do clean and put new water in the bath every day, especially in the Washington dry season. Both Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees are common in the neighborhood, and both use the water as a drinking source but never for bathing. Same with the Red-breasted Nuthatches. But other species, including juncos, Song Sparrows, towhees, and occasional jays and House Finches use it for splashing around in but not for drinking! Finally, The Black-caps come only once or twice during a typical day, while the Chestnut-backs get drinks many times a day. Interesting how these little bird behavioral patterns happen in response to a human artifact added to their environment.

Mark