This is a story of a broken down birdbath and a gathering of birds and how hope springs eternal.
There’s a small birdbath in my yard. It’s been there for years through all seasons. You can’t tell from this photo that it’s only nine inches (23 cm) in diameter.
Over several winters the weight of ice has broken off the edges. Only one side is whole. Nonetheless, during summer months, I fill it as much as I can, knowing only half of it can hold any water. I wasn’t even sure if there was enough water to attract any birds, but I thought I’d at least give them water to drink during a long dry spell. Hopefully, with any luck, I’d see birds using it.
To my delight, one day small bushtits started arriving to drink and take baths. At first, only a few birds arrived.
They splashed around in the water. Notice the one sitting in the water, while other watch from the edge.
They kept coming. I love the look on the one bird’s face as another is coming in for a landing. 
And they kept coming. It’s amazing to see how they didn’t land on each other. 
Until they were all gathered around chirping away, having all kinds of conversations, like people talking about their favorite shows at the water cooler. 
When I filled the sorry excuse for a birdbath with water, I felt it was a crazy idea. But I did it anyway, just in case. I never dreamed I would see such an enjoyable event as this gathering of birds. It goes to show that sometimes you just need a little faith that your actions will have an effect.
