A gardener's peaceful backyard oasis unexpectedly became the center of attention online after a simple moment turned into a delightful wildlife reveal.
The post, shared to Reddit's r/NativePlantGardening community and cross-posted from r/WildlifePonds, shows a Steller's jay enthusiastically splashing around in a backyard water feature. The post (click here if you can't see the video) is titled, "My native plant oasis is clearly the hottest spot in town for the local wildlife." The user also wrote, "Hmm I wonder why my water features keep losing so much water?"
The clip highlights something many homeowners don't realize at first: When you upgrade your yard with wildlife in mind, nature really does show up. By landscaping with native plants and a water feature, the gardener created a welcoming habitat that supports local insects, birds, and pollinators better than a traditional lawn ever could.
Beyond the charm factor, there are plenty of other benefits of rewilding your yard. Native plant lawns and natural landscaping typically require far less watering, mowing, fertilizer, and maintenance — saving you time, energy, and money. Because native plants are adapted to local conditions, they're more resilient during heat waves and droughts.
Homeowners don't even need to overhaul their entire yards to see results. Even partial replacements — such as swapping out sections of grass for native plants, clover, buffalo grass, or xeriscaping — can be beneficial. These changes can support declining bird and pollinator populations right where people live.
Users flocked to the comments to admire the jay and share similar experiences from their own wildlife-friendly yards.
"This summer we had a possum that came by every night to drink water. We named it Slurpy, because you could hear the loud lapping," one user shared. Another wrote: "That's awesome! Beautiful!"
The original poster added, "My yard is now certified as a backyard habitat for wildlife, which was a lifetime goal of mine and the main reason I wanted a larger property."
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