Beat the Heat

As summer unfurls its scorching embrace, the air quivers with heat, and life seeks respite under the generous canopy of shade. In these relentless days, as we reach for cool drinks and shady spots, let us not forget our feathered companions, whose thirst knows no tap or faucet. With summer worsening, most water sources for birds gets dried up. Not only humans, but animals too get affected due to the increase in temperature and suffer from dehydration.

So, we can help them by putting out pots filled with water. Placing earthen pots filled with water for birds is a simple yet impactful endeavor.  It’s a simple thing we can do to be kind to them.  Pots filled with water give them a place to drink and cool off. Earthen pots, offer a sanctuary for birds amidst the sweltering heat. Their porous nature allows water to slowly seep through, creating a cool and inviting pool for birds to drink from and bathe in.

Birds need fresh, clean water for drinking and bathing. Most birds drink water every day. They also seem to enjoy bathing to clean their plumage and remove parasites. Providing water improves the habitat for birds, and increases your chances of observing their fun behaviors up close! You can attract more birds to your balcony, or yard by including a birdbath, and few things are more attractive to them than a clean, well-maintained one.

I too have placed earthen terracotta pots in side garden and front and rear courtyard of my residence for water and feed for birds. Birds are now our daily visitors. These include Rose ringed Parakeet, Black Kite, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Tailor Bird, Black drongo, Rufous Treepie, House Crow, Common Myna, Rock Pigeon, Brown Headed Barbet come daily to take rest , feed and bath . Watching them soothe my soul. As and when I get a chance, I keep on observing the behavior of these birds and if possible, click the moment, so as to encourage others to place the pots for clear drinking water in their balconies or yards.

Here are a few easy ways you can follow to offer some relief to birds but also observe their fun behavior to cool yourself.

Set up a birdbath in your yard

Birds need water to drink. They also flock to water sources to cool themselves off. If you set up a birdbath on a hot day, you’ll see numerous birds walking through the water or shaking around in it.

Keep birdbaths full of water

While having a birdbath in your yard is a great first step, keeping it full of clean, fresh water is equally important. Water evaporates quickly throughout the day when the sun is bearing down, so even though you might fill it completely in the morning, by the afternoon, it could be all gone.  As stated before, birds love getting wet on hot days. It could also be fun to watch the birds play in it.

Provide shade

Another thing that really helps birds escape the heat is shade. You can offer shade to birds in several ways. For a long-term solution that will both yield shade and make your yard more appealing, plant trees and shrubbery. This requires more thought and care, but it’s definitely worth it. If not, place the birdbath or feeder underneath a canopy, so birds won’t be in direct sunlight.

Don’t forget food

With all the focus on the water during the heat, many people forget about providing food at feeders. When the temperatures soar, birds will stay cool by being less active. If you give them easy access to fresh food, they will have to use up less energy to go searching for it.

In the tapestry of life, every thread holds significance. By placing earthen pots filled with water for birds, we weave a strand of compassion and connection, bridging the gap between species and fostering a deeper appreciation for the natural world. As the summer sun beats down, let us extend a welcoming hand to our feathered friends, offering them not just water, but the warmth of our care and concern.