Our backyard fountain is a source of a wildlife activity, especially during the summer months. Birds visit it daily and the raccoons visit it nightly. I haven't managed to capture a photo of the racoons but I routinely find evidence of their visits. The top tier of the fountain is filled with sea shells to give the birds a solid footing. The raccoons remove the sea shells and drop them into the lower tiers of the fountain or scatter them about the garden EVERY DAY.
Most of the birds come to drink or take a dip. Last week, I caught the Hooded Oriole thoroughly enjoying a bath in the fountain. He's usually quite elusive, flying off the moment I get close to the window with my camera. I've only managed to get a few shots of him. Here's a photo, taken in June, of him looking his usual sleek self.
And here he was last week when he thought no one was looking.
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| After a brief mid-air tussle, which I failed to capture, the second bird took off |
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| He celebrated having the fountain to himself |
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| And surfaced looking a bit scruffy |
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| When he flew off, he wasn't well-coiffed but his joy at the dip in the fountain was evident |
In contrast, every evening, after the fountain is turned off, a Mourning Dove appears and simply sits at the edge of the fountain. It remains there, alone, for long periods, just staring out across the garden.
