Cool Water
I've always had a birdbath but the next summer I saved up for a bigger birdbath that was deeper, and bought a dripper. A dripper is just a 1/4" copper tubing attached to a base and run from your outside faucet. It allows me to control the amount of drip I want. The rippling effect really attracts the birds. In the hot humid summer it is good for keeping the water cool for the birds and helping the water to not become so stagnet, plus it never dries up before you can get home from work to fill it again! I can not tell you the pleasure I get at watching the robins, bluejays, doves, cardinals and mockingbirds get in there and splash about. They will stand on top of the dripper too and sip from the copper tube. Water is important all year long plus it will draw in birds that might not necessarily visit your feeders like robins,cedar waxwings and bluebirds .
The following winter I purchased a heater for the birdbath to keep the water from freezing. It has worked wonderfully. There may be snow and ice all over the yard but the bath is totally without any of that. The birds still enjoy bathing and drinking in the winter and as a matter of fact it is imperative that they have fresh water. They need the water to help release oil glands in their feathers to keep them in tip top shape. As you can see in the pictures below it works wonderfully!
I also have a smaller one on the other side of the yard for the smaller birds.The goldfinch, housefinch and chickadees and various sparrows really enjoy this one.
In the perennial beds I have several decorative pieces to hold water.
In 2003 I built a pond
