I currently have four water dishes of various sizes and heights in my yard, three up front and one in the back. I don’t call them bird baths because they are intended for, and utilized by, all manner of wildlife.

As I’ve mentioned before, we are in our dry season here in Florida and my region is already experiencing Stage 1 drought conditions, so all these fresh water options draw a crowd.

While birds and pollinators visit during the day, it seems mammals prefer the evening hours, which is why I’m glad I installed a motion-activated camera. Not long ago it caught a video of three young raccoons. After watching them trying to share water dish, I’ve decided to add an even larger water option to my front yard (hopefully soon).

While I’m delighted that wildlife utilizes my yard, I do wish they wouldn’t leave muddy paw prints all over my porch!