Above: Goldfinches congregate around a garden puddle for a spa day. Photo courtesy of and ©2009 Karen Engelbretson.

I was telling you last week where to find birds. Well this morning my friend Karen told me how while she and her husband were gardening this weekend their hose and sprinkler made a puddle in the yard. Before she could turn around and grab the camera they had a bird spa! (But she did have time to get the camera and capture the moments!)

It has been so dry here (Minnesota) lately that the pool created by Karen's gardening work was a welcome respite for the birds. Try it in your own yard. You'll have life-drawing models galore, as well as lots of visual entertainment.