It's Still Summer and Still No Rain

I've been rather lax about keeping water out for the birds this summer; although I water the plants every day, and most of them have big saucers underneath where water collects for several hours.  I have often seen the birds drinking in those.  Today I put a big pan under the old flowering cherry tree and filled it with two gallons of fresh water.  The birds came in droves.  At one time I counted nine all drinking together.  They came all afternoon.  So, I made a drip waterer for them on the patio, sat in the swing and waited to see what would happen.  They loved it, maybe better, because they could splash around in it.  I sat quietly for over an hour just watching them and enjoying the cool shade, the comfortable swing, and one of the last days of summer.