Natural depressions with small rocks or sticks in them will make these areas more attractive to butterflies. You can also place a bowl filled with wet sand and sink it in the ground near your butterfly garden. Butterflies will even visit these sites after the puddles have dried up. They exude saliva through their proboscis and then suck up the nutrients. Interestingly, most butterflies at puddle clubs are males which are attracted to sodium and other nutrients needed for mating.
Males pass the nutrients to their mates through the spermatophore during mating.
All birds, from humming birds to hawks, need water for drinking and bathing throughout the year. This article is taken from a back issue of Wild Acres Habichat, a newsletter published for members of Maryland's Wild Acres Program. Find out more about Wild Acres and how you can become a part of the growing network of Marylanders who are creating backyard habitat for wildlife.