This morning at breakfast I watched a young nuthatch hopping about the edge
of my garden pond. After several fluttering attempts, it landed on a
floating plant, and moving most unsteadily, it took a bath. I thought it was
odd since my bird bath is within sight of the pond and so I thought perhaps
the bath was empty. It was full, and I realized that it was too deep for the
little guy so I put a flat rock in the middle of it, which is only maybe an
inch under water. Within a few minutes the rock became the place for the
young bird crowd to hang out. I never thought about how deep my bird bath is
but I am glad for the lesson.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
Snohomish County, WA