Sparrow takes a bath

My backyard provides a very small, sheltered stream leading to a little pond below.

This area protects birds on all sides by having the umbrella of my Japanese maple hanging above them, my 81-year-old garage behind them, slick rock walls on either side of them, and of course, at their feet, a gently flowing, shallow stream of fresh water meandering through small leaves, sticks and stones. This seems to provide a safe and cozy bird spa.
As this brave little sparrow bathes in it, you can hear some of his sparrow friends hanging out in the nearby trees, calling out regularly that the coast is clear. Do they take turns bathing while the others act as lookouts?
Birds don’t tend to luxuriate in their baths. They keep things brief and precise, since after all, a bird on the ground must always be wary of predators. (Some of my neighborhood cats come to mind.) So along with looking for fresh, clean water, birds need to be very conscious of their surroundings.

In order to further appreciate the magic of a bird bathing, I have slowed this video down to 1/4 its normal speed. You can see the body swaying, the tail dipping, the wing sweeping, and even a little scratching and pruning around the eye area.

Sparrows may be as plentiful as spring rain, but that makes them no less interesting to observe!