Three summers ago birder Raveendran Natarajan saw a flock of birds lying dead due to lack of water and intense heat at a sanctuary in Tirunelveli district. Ever since, he renewed a childhood practice of leaving a bowl of water on his terrace for birds. “The first thing I did was to buy an earthen bowl from the market. We were taught in school to provide water for birds in the summer,” says Natarajan, whose house in Tirumangalam is visited by a wide range of birds.
The water bowl attracts birds of all sizes from the little sparrows and starlings to koels and even owls at night. “It's such a pleasure to watch the avian wonders twitter around and make merry. Some even plunge into the bowl, take a dip and splash around. So, I started keeping a bigger bowl where they can bathe as well.”
This small act of kindness can go a long way in helping small animals and birds survive the harsh summer, say nature enthusiasts. “The rise in mercury in the recent years has worst hit the neighbourhood birds, stray dogs and cats and mammals like squirrels,” points out Anand Sundaram. “I keep two bowls adjacent to each other at my home garden – one with water and other with grains. Food also becomes scarce during this time and it's best to help them with millets or rice grains.”
For the birds to visit your water bowl, you need to provide some shade and greenery first. The best way to start is by planting some fast-growing fruiting trees, says Sundaram. “Native trees like Murungai are great hosts for birds. They rest on their branches, feed on the insects and worms on the bark and rest under the tree shade.”
Unlike the migrants, small birds that are dependent on humans can't travel long in search of water and food, says Natarajan. “For instance, a sparrow can maximum travel six streets and they live within a small area. So are tree-dwellers like squirrels. Street dogs and cats have territorial demarcations and they can't venture out much. Earlier, people would leave a bucket of water outside their compound wall during summers for cows, goats and other animals to quench their thirst. But now everybody leads a busy life with no time for such acts.”
But there are people like Jitendra Golcha, residing in Anna Nagar, who built a water tank for animals at the entrance gate of his house two decades ago. “I fill the tank with water daily and also make sure to clean it periodically,” says Golcha. A herd of cows and few dogs are regular visitors.
Priyadarshini Rajendran, Professor at Lady Doak College has been providing water for birds for the past 10 years. “Common birds like Myna, Yellow Billed Babblers and crows are regular visitors to my bird bath. Once, I even had a paradise flycatcher drinking water from the bowl. Birds like shikra, treepie, woodpecker and bulbul are other regulars,” she says.
It's not just in cities that animals suffer a ruthless summer but also inside the forests. “Last month, a male spotted deer strayed into Arittapatti village from Perumalamalai forest in search of water. In villages around Palamedu, Indian Gaurs and deers straying into villages from the Sirumalai hills are common,” recalls Natarajan. “Since the past two months, we are receiving rescue calls for monkey menace from residents of Tiruparankundram and Tirunagar areas. The monkeys from the nearby Kovalimalai and Pasumalai hills enter houses in search of water, says P R Vishwanath of Oorvanam youth environmentalist group. Members of Oorvanam have been filling water in cement tanks in the Thenparankundram hills. “Peacocks, monkeys, civet cats and mongoose live in these hills. There are three tanks that were dirty and dry. With the onset of summer, we have been cleaning and refilling them regularly,” says Vishwanath.
How to do it:
Opt for a shallow earthen bowl so that even smaller birds and mammals can drink from it. Avoid plastic and steel bowls as the water may get heated in the sun.
Place the bowl either on terrace or in a shady place at the garden, preferably at a height so that it's safe from predators like cats.
It may take a couple of weeks for the birds to visit the bird bath. So be patient and keep refilling. It's best to leave the place undisturbed and observe for bird activity from a distance.
Clean the bowl periodically. If you are providing food, avoid cooked items like snacks and leftovers and instead opt for raw grains.
