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Creating a Wild Backyard - Water Drips for Wild Places
Wildlife seems drawn to the sound of falling water. The easiest way to add this
to your bird bath is to attach a dripping hose along an overhanging branch.
Another method is the dripping pail. Poke a nail hole in the bottom of a bucket
and then thread a short cotton rope or a small piece of cotton cloth through the
hole to serve as a wick. Hang the bucket over your birdbath and fill it daily
with water.
Water is the primary ingredient in any recipe for wildlife habitat. Here are a few water ideas that work well even in small spaces. Raised bird
baths work fine and should be used where cats freely roam. Locate bird baths in
open areas 15 feet from shrubs where predators may hide.
Some birds like to use bird baths on the ground. Place them in a shady
protected spot near shrubs to attract warblers if predators aren't a problem.
Make sure all bird baths have a gentle incline and depth not more than 2 to 3
inches. Larger pools may have more depth beyond the incline towards the middle.
Place rocks or twigs to form perching places for larger birds. Many birds get water from the foods they eat, by drinking, and even eating snow.
All birds, from humming birds to hawks, need water for drinking and bathing
throughout the year.
Butterflies need water, too! They drink from puddles of wet sand or earth
where they get nutrients. Natural depressions with small rocks or sticks in them
will make these areas more attractive to butterflies. You can also place a bowl
filled with wet sand and sink it in the ground near your butterfly garden.
Butterfly "puddle clubs" form along dirt roads and paths where
water regularly accumulates after rain and evaporates, concentrating the
nutrients. Butterflies will even visit these sites after the puddles have dried
up. They exude saliva through their proboscis and then suck up the nutrients.
Interestingly, most butterflies at puddle clubs are males which are attracted
to sodium and other nutrients needed for mating. Males pass the nutrients to
their mates through the spermatophore during mating.
For Additional
Information, Contact:
Wild Acres Program
Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service
Attn: Marilyn Mause
Gwynnbrook WMA
3740 Gwynnbrook Ave
Owings Mills MD 21117
410-356-0941
E-Mail:
customerservice@dnr.state.md.us
Invite Wildlife to Your Backyard...
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