• Outdoors Outdoors

Gardener captures adorable video of unexpected yard visitor: 'This is the cutest thing ever'

"Thank you for sharing."

"Thank you for sharing."

Photo Credit: iStock

A TikToker was surprised to see this cute creature in their bird bath.

They're called bird baths, but birds aren't the only ones who get to enjoy them. Gardener ButteredToastwKelly (@butteredtoastwkelly) shared a sweet moment on TikTok after spotting a peculiar visitor enjoying her backyard bird bath.

@butteredtoastwkelly I'm glad I could help soothe you. Stay as long as you need...🥹 🚨🚨 THE EDGING STONES DO NOT SURROUND THE ENTIRE BED. A large Hosta plant is in the corner and there are no stones close to it due to its size. He crawled in there! 🚨🚨 #boxturtle #birdbath #gardening #nature #grief #coping ♬ Once Upon a Time - Austin Farwell

"Sometimes I get the most unique little guests in my bird bath," she wrote.

Although box turtles live on land, they enjoy water, so it's no surprise to see the box turtle soaking its shell in the water. It crawled in through a large gap in the surrounding pavers, according to Kelly. Box turtles are known to stick around in their home territory, so it's likely that Kelly will see the reptile return.

Adding a bird bath to your backyard is a great way to upgrade your yard and support local wildlife, especially in areas prone to hot weather. Birds, bees, and even box turtles can show up for a drink or a shower.

If you want to bring more cute critters to your backyard, start by rewilding your yard with plants native to your area. Native plants provide food, shelter, and support for all kinds of creatures, from pollinators like bees and birds to baby bunnies and foxes.

Since native plants are adapted to the area, they require significantly less maintenance than traditional grass lawns and other non-native plants. Switching to a natural lawn will save you time and money on maintenance like mowing, watering, and weeding.

Not sure where to start? Try the National Wildlife Federation's native plant finder to identify what plants will thrive in your yard.

The video inspired some commenters to start their own backyard bird baths.

"That's a very nice critter bath," one user commented. "Thank you for sharing."

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"What a great water source on the ground!!! I'm totally doing this, thank you for the idea," another said.

"This is the cutest thing ever," a third viewer wrote.

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