Permies Poll: Do you intentionally have water available for wildlife on your property?

I have had a 'kiddie pool' of water in my backyard as a source of collected water to disperse between plants but has been available for wildlife to utilize.

We have a solar aerator to keep it from getting funky that does a pretty decent job. I just have been noticing more and more critters utilizing it as the weather has warmed up. I was delighted to notice the other day a small gathering of crows sipping and resting the other day by it.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:I would also add that we make all water on site accessible in ways that are safe for birds to access. This sounds complex, but it's dirt simple. Long poles with bark on them in 55 gal. barrels. Simple wood floats in ponds. Stepped stone "stairs" in the fish pond, with little bathing nooks. These are massively active all through the summer.

I look at the metal tanks my cowboy neighbour uses to water the rescue horses he works with. There's a long pole in every one, so the birds can drink. He knows the deal. Doesn't cost him a penny. Smart boy. (Tough shell, but underneath a big ol' softie I think.)

This is key around here. Not much worse than finding drowned critters of any kind in your containers. Give them a way to get out when they get trapped.

... and today dammit, by my burn pile, I found a pail with 10 dead bumblebees in it and another one drowning. It seems like I need to make sure there is a safe drinking spot at every station on the property. The mosquitoes will reward my benevolence no doubt.

I have black plastic tubs, one quite large and half wine barrels primarily because looking at water is calming, pleasing and to grow aquatic edible plants. I really had to use plastic as my section is too steep, above a road to make a natural pond. Black also raises the temperature of the water.

Many birds come and drink from them and bathe in them. I was also very pleased to see they attract dragonflies. I am hoping they will lay their eggs in them, the aquatic  nymphs of many are used as food by traditional cultures. No record of this with the ones around here but am going to try them if I can.

My tubs are really the focal point of my garden/ forest, I gaze at them a lot.

We're at a small rental house with a small wraparound yard now.  I have a cup-and-saucer on a metal rod which I top off with water each day for the birds and bees.  But I want to get a couple of other things going on the other two sides of the house which have yard.  Maybe a small birdbath, maybe a dish, we'll see.  How deep does water need to be for mosquitos to lay eggs in there?  Maybe I need to keep anything I use shallow.