For the birds: A birdbath deicer will keep your feathered friends hydrated during the winter months

By Paul Schnare

As I write this column, I am shivering. I think I am mentally reacting to the cold weather we are now experiencing. I think I am also reacting to the image of all the birds I see in the woods through our sliding glass door. They are looking for food and they are looking for water.

I think they are looking for water for two reasons just like we humans do. The first one is to get a drink of water to help in their internal metabolism. The second reason is to take that "bath" in order to keep their feathers nice and clean. After all, their coat of feathers is their winter coat to keep them warm.

We have a small fountain at home in front of our patio that is in a small "pond" in a rock garden. Usually during warmer weather the birds use the fountain water to get their drink and use the pond to take their beauty bath. But during the winter, they seem confused since there is no "liquid" water for a drink or a bath. All of the water is frozen.

Fortunately I live close to a creek that has running water 365 days out of the year. Usually there are a few places in the creek where water is still in liquid form even when temperatures remain below freezing for several days. This is where the local birds visit to get that drink or bath water during those frigid cold periods. Unfortunately I can't see the watering hole from my living room.

A birdbath de-icer is seen resting on a birdbath in the showroom of Sunny Hill Gardens & Florist Wednesday in Cape Girardeau.KASSI JACKSON

Most people who live in town do not have any place close to their home where water stays in liquid form 365 days a year. With that in mind, I would suggest that you purchase a bird bath, and a bird bath heater so you can keep those colorful birds coming to your landscape. Make sure that you place the bird bath in a location where you can watch them during the day.

This is what my father-in-law did. He placed a bird feeder and a bird bath in the back yard in a location that he could see from the family room picture window. He often would sit in his easy chair and watch through that window. He always kept a pair of binoculars and a bird identification book on a table next to the chair. He really enjoyed watching their interactions and antics around the bird bath and the bird feeder.

If you would like to enjoy the neighborhood bird population, I suggest that you get a bird feeder, a bird bath, and a bird bath heater and place it in a position where you can watch them and their antics. You can be entertained. If you have kids or grandkids this would be a great learning experience location for them also. Happy birding.