MatthewParis

#birds This is a female house sparrow splash-drinking. They come by the bath often and usually stay for a while - sometimes displaying a lot of aggression against other visitors. This is from four days ago in cloudy mid-day light.

#birds A robin is in the bath! His exertions are so strong that the splash hits the camera lens. I'm sharing it because the effect is amusing, and it's an example of how things don't always work the way you expect them to...🙂 Video captured four days ago in afternoon light in shade.

#birds This is a grackle enjoying the bath. The iridescence of its feathers always impress me. This one is bright enough that I believe it is the male of the species. This is from four days ago - mid-morning light with overcast skies.

#birds Grey Catbird is new to the bath. I've rarely seen them at the bath, but this one (or it's family) have come by several times in the last couple of days. This video is from about 4 days ago around 7pm, so the light is very soft.

This is a video of the same event from a slightly different angle. One of the foxes stopped for a drink at the bird-bath. It wasn't caught by the wide-angle camera due to lighting. Found it while going through the "other" camera images...

#birds A Blue Jay really goes to town splashing in the water. It's energetic splashing really throws the water around. Look at the bib and neck feathers, not to mention the crown...all clumpy from the water. (From about 10 days ago)

#birds A mourning dove splashes. Before splashing it looks up into the noon-time sunlight - so its face appears to "flash". The bigger birds don't "go for it" like the sparrows and robins and blue-jays! (From about 10 days ago).

#birds Female Cardinal in the early morning light taking a bath. She is so diligent! (From about 10 days ago.)

#birds Robin, post-bath, preening. Have to polish up those feathers to look good! 🙂 (This is from about 10 days ago)

#fox Around 10pm a couple of days ago, a fox kit wandered across the lawn - presumably guarded by both parents. That kit is so cute!!! See ALT TEXT for more details.

#fox This fox crossed my yard at 9:30 this morning... It's colors are gorgeous! (Yes that is a separate trail cam sitting on the wall looking at a shallow stone bird-bath.)

#chipmunk Time for a slightly late lunch....

#birds The cardinal's colors are so brilliant! This is mid-day with the sun high in the sky. You can see the droplets on his feathers as well as watch him raise/lower the crest of feathers on his head.

#birds - Three (count them) grackles come to the bath at the same time. They all drink, and one fluffs their feathers (I think that one is a female). Their spectacular iridescence is somewhat muted because the bird-bath is in the shade this late in the day...

#birds A robin comes up to the edge and dives right in. I think they are the most splashy except for the blue-jays. I love how determined this one is - it just jumps in and gets started.

#birds We seem to have a neighborhood Flicker! It's back and looks pretty happy to be taking another bath. This is noon-day sun, and the Flicker is mid-bath - all fluffy and wet. The background visitor is a house sparrow wandering around and finally getting s a drink.

#birds A robin in the early morning light. The low angle and brilliance of the light really changes the image and makes it feel more like a stage. The shadows also add an interesting echo to the robin's morning bath.

#birds From last month - a grackle and a starling at the bird-bath. They seem to be drinking simultaneously, until the end... (presented un-edited due to the framing)

#birds A female house sparrow "owns" the bath today. I included the video without cropping to show how possessive she is. I think it's interesting how the scruffy-looking male sparrow is chased away, but the regal-looking well-groomed male sparrow is not...

#birds - a short snip of a flicker - they rarely come to the bath for a drink - so this is a delight - look at the patterns and colors! (the water is low - so he's turning his head to the side to get a drink)

#birds This is a male grackle - his colors - as he moves in the sunlight are brilliant - quite a contrast from the female

#birds This is a female grackle - all her colors are very muted compared to the male.

#birds A female cardinal - showing muted colors. Also notice the feathers on the top of her head - see how she can raise/lower her crown?

#birds A male cardinal - showing off it's colors in the bath.

#birds #SplashingRound #BirdOfTheDay - A Northern Cardinal enjoys a splashy bath. Watch the water droplets on it's tail roll off.

#birds The robin steps up to the bath and then braces itself for a few splashes. (It's been cold - so it is less enthusiastic than on warmer days.)

#birds Don't get too close or you might get splashed by the Cardinal. (It's been cold - so not many birds come to the bath - although this Cardinal finally committed to it!)

#squirrel - This 15 second video shows something I've not seen before. The squirrel isn't moving. You can see the water moving in the wind, and one or two leaves move, but not the squirrel (except for a small chewing motion at the start). One wonders if there is a hawk flying above......

#birds Robin Behavior: Preening #2 (puffy stage)... This robin looks so fluffy its hard to understand how it can be that big! But it's reach (for tail feathers and wing feathers) shows just how flexible it is.

#birds Robin behavior: preening after a bath. The bath can take minutes - and so can the preening. Every feather needs to be "groomed". (That's a Junco making a cameo appearance at the beginning...)

#birds - The robins are steady visitors to the bath. This one seems more frantic that others - no grooming - just get going with the rest of the day...

#birds A male cardinal checks out the bath. Hs color is so brilliant!

#birds A female cardinal does her afternoon ablutions.

#birds House Sparrow - splashing happily. Isn't he cute?

#birds A grackle is clearly looking for something - completely uninterested in the bath... (I think this is the female of the species...)

#birds A pair of house sparrows (one male, one female) share a bath in the middle of the day. It's clear that they like the water.

#birds A robin and a a male house-sparrow share the bath. This is unusual. Notice how they both discreetly face away from each other for the entire bath - seem so... polite.

#birds Cardinal taking a mid-day bath.

#birds This is a Junco - I think it's a female. It seems to enjoy the bath quite a bit!

#birds I love how the robin keeps up the pace and vigor while taking it's bath...

#birds A Junco splashing in the bath. So far only Robins and Juncos are visiting the bath.

#birds Robins are ubiquitous at the bird-bath. Only Robins and Junco so far. (You can see it breathing....)

#birds house sparrow - enjoying the bath

#birds Cardinal in the bath for a short visit.

#birds a Junco takes a thorough bath. The slightly misty quality is due to condensation on the lens.

#birds a Robin takes a tentative bath - it looks unsure about the process...(slightly misty quality is due to condensation on the camera lens)

#coyote #suburbia some coyotes crossed my back yard a few days ago and hopped the fence in the back. The video shows three, but there was also a fourth one seconds before. I assume parents and cubs...

#birds first clear image for 2026 - a Junco in the bird-bath. (Windstorm filled it with leaves...)

#birds #BirdOfTheDay theme: #OddCouples A tufted titmouse and a robin "sharing" the birdbath. From a while ago (2021).

#birds If you count drinking as part of today's #BirdOfTheDay theme: #FeedingTime, this is a large batch of starlings. (repost from Oct 2025)

#birds A late afternoon cardinal comes to get a drink at a frozen birdbath. Camera reports temperature as -4C, 25F.By pecking at the edges - the cardinal can get ice-chips - it's worth the visit.

#birds A junco comes to get a drink in the middle of the day. (That orange thing in the background is a leftover, partially eaten small pumpkin.)

Saturday just after midnight, it came to get a drink. Toes and tongue are so cute. #opossum #possum

#squirrel From Christmas Day - a squirrel enjoying the autumn decorations set out for the wildlife.

#birds - another October post that got lost. Noisy Starlings at the bird bath.

#birds - never managed to post this in October... They don't look like they agree!

#birds A junco is checking out the leftovers from the small pumpkins in the background (which have been gnawed by possums and squirrels).

#birds A cardinal visits the frozen birdbath - and it's December!

Late in the afternoon, the #opossum is out getting dinner. It's teeth do a good job of breaking off chunks to eat.

#squirrel munching down on our seasonal decorations (discarded out by the birdbath). Serious business!

This hungry #opossum is munching on a very small pumpkin, left out by the birdbath as a snack. This is about an hour past sunset, so the camera is using infrared.

I put out the Halloween decorations by the birdbath - and this @squirrel came by for a snack. (Actually, he stayed for 30 minutes and made a big dent in the calico corn.)

#birds Song Sparrow and Junco - sharing the bath... (from last week).

#birds In case you wanted some face-time with a starling, here you go. No idea what it's saying, but it is very interested in whatever is going on...

#birds - An early morning bath - to start the day clean!