July Junction

With little rain this month and the heat index above 100 most days, the area critters voted my birdbath their favorite watering hole. Birds of all sizes and colors enjoy it like kids playing at a splashpad. Deer mosey up around sunrise and sunset for a daily drink. Honeybees and wasps frequent the edge to gather water for their nests.

A more accurate label for my birdbath might be most convenient watering hole. With my husband refilling it every day, nobody needs to trek downhill to the river for a drink—unless somebody knocks over the birdbath in the middle of the night. At first I blamed the deer because they’re always munching on the Mapleleaf Viburnum plants surrounding it, despite my log barriers to keep them away. And then I witnessed something I’ve never seen before. A large mature tom turkey, estimated to be the perfect family Thanksgiving dinner size, stepped up onto the log in front of the birdbath and guzzled multiple drinks like a college freshman at his first frat party. The following day he brought his equally plump fraternity brother, and they bellied up to the bar for an extra-long happy hour. Could the overturned birdbath be the result of a barroom bird brawl? Maybe. Perhaps I need to purchase a motion-activated trail camera and see what goes on after dark. Uh, maybe not. One night we heard loud bickering between rival raccoons and found patches of fur on the ground the next morning.

Regardless the animal antics, my goal this summer is keeping the wildlife water junction on our ridge filled and open for business. What critters visit your yard during the summer?

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