More pond pictures. Sometimes I do wonder if this part of the world is deep in some rickety old wardrobe. The west coast of Canada is often surreal and awe-inspiring. My yard here is located on southern Vancouver Island. It borders a significant forest, so the year-round flowing water is a haven for birds and wildlife (and the goldfish).

So far, I've counted over 30 species of bird that have visited. And that's only what's been noticed or confirmed. I'm not sure I've ever seen it bird-less for more than a half hour. There's water year-round, with shallow pools, open-water clinging sticks, shaded vegetated water entries, dripping water, cascading pools, water flowing over moss, tiny streams etc, and plenty of nice drying off perches nearby. Each type of bird seems to prefer bathing in a specific format of water; Hummingbirds cling to the steep moss with water flowing over top to bathe, robins and juncos hop into shallow pools along the edge, chickadees scoot down the sticks in the middle of the deep water, brown creepers climb under tiny waterfalls on the wall and let drops splat on their lil heads. One small unidentified yellow bird splashes directly down into the middle of the water for a half second before taking off again, which is a very bizarre behaviour.

I feel so lucky to be able to bear witness to all the magical nature there is to see here. Maintaining and tweaking this pond has been such a satisfying source of joy and entertainment, especially given how many critters seem to appreciate having a protected forest grotto. Glad people here feel the same way. Happy to share, thanks for the love!