CHAPTER X 



BIRD BATHS AND DRINKING POOLS 



In hot weather, especially in time of drought, 



there is nothing more attractive to birds than 



water. They need it to drink and to bathe in, 



and when the natural pools and streams are 



dried up, they will come from far and near to 



visit a properly constructed bird bath. At the 



very time this chapter is being written the 



weather is very hot and dry and birds are coming 



to the artificial baths in the village, not one at 



a time, but by scores. Only this morning they 



gathered at a little cement bath just outside my 



study window, and gave it the appearance of an 



avian Manhattan Beach. I saw two bluebirds, 



a chewink, a white-throated sparrow, a song 



sparrow, a junco, a chipping sparrow, and a 



myrtle warbler, all bathing at once, and at least 



a score of other birds were hopping about in the 



grass or perched in the bushes nearby, awaiting 



their turn. There were similar scenes at nearly 



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