Competition develops at the water towers during the dog days of summer. A house finch is drinking the fresh cool water.

Birds require water for drinking and bathing. In most cases both large and small birds take advantage of the clean, bubbling, tumbling water of my water feature.

To date, many different species have visited my three basalt towers. Yesterday, a small flock of seven pine siskins dropped by for a bit of refreshment and a few months ago a flock of 17 cedar waxwings bathed and drank for several days. Today, there are two pine siskins in the garden. Their favorite today is the birdbath.

Of course the birdbath is always a favorite of the smallest of the songbirds, as is my little piece of water-filled pottery.

The antics and behavior of the birds that visit are entertaining and just watching them perform or go about their business is educational. The entertainment and knowledge gained even extends beyond the birdbath or water feature.

In my yard, the house finch often sits in the bushes waiting for a turn. Large birds like, the gray partridge sidle up to the bottom of the tower to catch the sparkling droplets as they fall to the rocky area below. They twist and turn their heads in which seems like an effort to catch the largest drops of water. American crows prefer to sit right on the tallest and largest of the towers for their drinks.

There is a little twig that hangs over one of the towers. It provides a waiting spot for the clay-colored sparrow while it waits for the white-throated sparrow to finish its bath. The western tanager didn’t seem interested in the towers. Its favorite was the birdbath. House sparrows and house finch like both the water feature and the birdbath, but my observations suggest that their favorite is the birdbath. They are more likely to share this space with their friends at the birdbath, but are much more aggressive, and indeed, possessive when it comes to the water towers.

The American robin, house finch and sparrows all fly to a tree or shrub to shake, rattle and roll after bathing until the water has been shaken from their feathers. While other birds just sit on the edge of the bath to shake off the droplets. The pine siskin did just that when I looked out the window a few minutes ago!

Many questions arise when watching birds at the watering holes in a garden, including who gets to bathe or drink first, males or females? Is there a species that is more aggressive than others toward those who are in the birdbath? Does it chase the other birds away? Can you see a bird sitting in nearby cover waiting its turn? What species is it? How do you know that the bird is waiting for its turn? Answers to these questions add to the splendor for each of us as we watch the birds who come to our gardens. Happy birding!

The Chinook Observer’s ornithological columnist splits her time between the peninsula and Calgary. ”Common Birds of the Long Beach Peninsula,” by Kalbach and Stauffer, is available from Bay Avenue Gallery, Time Enough Books and the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau.