Quench the birds thirst this summer

Pic credit Shankar Haranahalli

Bird watchers can bring the birds home! Q It’s warming up fast in the city and with the heat comes thirst. Not for just us humans, but the little balls of feathers that live amongst us -- our native birds! In the old days there was always a garden tap which dripped, where they could quench their thirst, across the city. Now with our impeccable, landscaped gardens around blocks of flats, water is a scarce commodity. It is distressing to see the bulbuls and pigeons literally scavenge for water, from the runoff in the plates put under pots in balconies, in apartment blocks. Many Bangaloreans believe in putting out bowls to help our feathered friends. Like Dr Akhilesh Sharma who lives in Jayanagar 5th block says, “Keeping water in a bowl serves many purposes as birds both quench their thirst and take a bath. A shallow bowl is preferable for small birds and medium depth for larger birds like crow's who like to splash and bathe. I have found not just birds, even bees, wasps and other insects need water to keep them hydrated and cool.”

Always clean out the bowl everyday It is paramount to choose terracotta bowls or even cement ones too. Avoid plastic and metal bowls as they get heated and heat the water too in turn. Put a few pots around the bowl, as the plants provide a perch for the smaller birds. It is imperative to clean the bowl once a week and pour in fresh clean water every day. Also the bowl should be placed where cats cannot reach and pounce on the birds for a quick meal. Shankar Haranahalli who belongs to the bngbirds FB group and whose picture accompanies the story says he has used a Sony alpha 6500 mirrorless, with a Tamron 100-400 mm Canon Mount lens and a Commlite adapter to shoot the picture. “He believes that all life forms need water and we should practice sustainable living like the birds.” Just use enough water and not excess. Eat just right and stop waste of all kinds. We have plenty to learn from these birds. They bathe in a common pool without a fight while humans have no patience with one another.”

White rumped shama bathing So do your bit and put a simple shallow earthen bowl, so the tiny birds don't drown. Keep it in your balcony or garden and top it up with fresh water for the birds to drink and bathe in. You can keep the water temperature cooler, by placing the bowl in a shady spot. A bowl placed out in the open, in direct sunlight will have heated water, which will also cause the water to evaporate more quickly. . Joshua C.D from S.R Nagar says, “ There are a lot of bowls in Cubbon park that are kept especially behind the High Court that I personally fill with water when I go to college. Recently as a volunteer I distributed about 150 terracotta water bowls to be kept for birds for free in Cubbon Park. They were gifted by advocate Mr. Manu. Most of us volunteers, when we walk past various parks, we pour water into the bowls and make sure they are filled everyday.” Good bird baths are similar to shallow puddles, the natural birdbaths in the wild for birds. Choose a shallow container like an old frying pan, a shallow baking pan, or buy a commercial bird bath.Soon you will have a bunch of happy birds visiting your bird bath everyday for a drink and a quick dive and splash in the water. Nothing quite lifts the spirits like indulging in the simple things in life -- watching birds enjoy your bird bath. Marianne de Nazareth