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Bird bath (1 Viewer)

dave gore

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although we have two hanging seed feeders which are constantly busy with birds, (house sparrows, greenfinches, goldfinches and blue tits), the hanging bird bath we having hanging next door to them never ever seems to be used by the birds even on the warmest days. the water is changed every day and on the times we ever look out or are sitting out there watching the brids feed it gets no use whatsoever

am i doing something wrong with the placement?, we have a bird table nearby which scraps and fruit along with seed is sprinkled on there which is busy too, would it possibly be an idea to try the water on there to see if we get better usage??

thanks for any help

dave
 
Mine is ignored as well. Yet, when I take walks in the neighborhood, I see birds drinking from and bathing in flooded water, which looks pretty dirty to me! I do not know what the trick is, but some use the trickle method. Hang an old enamel pot with a hole drilled into the bottom over the birdbath and the trickle of the water will attract them. Supposedly.
 
Hi Dave.

Could it be that the bath is a hanging one and less stable than a static one? I have a bird bath on a pedestal stand and the birds regularly use it. They did take a few weeks to get used to it being there though but now they are used to it they are fine, I love to watch them having a splash around in there. They seem to especially like it when the water is changed in the evening.

Hope this helps.
Sue
 
beaklet said:
Hi Dave.

Could it be that the bath is a hanging one and less stable than a static one?

Hope this helps.
Sue

the only place i could put it where it would be static is actually on the bird table itself, but it's a two tier one so it may be worth giving it a go there

thanks Sue

Dave
 
There could be a number of reasons. If it swings too much, it is too close to other feeders, or even too deep...
I guess you've got your answer already, but I would say move it and let it stay in one spot for at least two weeks, even a month.
Good luck! I am sure they will start using it soon!
 
I agree that the problem could well be that it is a hanging one, not stable enough.
I bought one of these last year and not a single bird ever used it. So I placed it on the ground and now it is used every day by the sparrows and ground birds.
I have also purchased a feeding pole which comes with a water dish that sits in a hoop on the pole. This is loved by all the birds. Far more stable than a hanging one. also have a paint roller tray on the ground for the larger birds to bathe in!
I would definately try yours on the table or ground.
 
For what it's worth, I agree with the rest about the hanging bird bath. I took a large plastic planter (large enough to plant a small tree), flipped it over and put the matching saucer on top to use as a bird bath. The birds figured it out almost immediately and drink from it all the time, and I do occasionally catch one splashing around inside it! I've also spotted a squirrel and a neighborhood cat drinking from it as well (not at the same time, and I will give the cat credit for agility). Inexpensive and easy to clean, too.
 
Dave got back with

well it's happily sitting on the bird table's lower ledge now, all i can do is wait and see

will be sure to keep you posted

Dave
 
Result !!!!

just got it from work, 630am so it's all nice and quiet and there are birds drinking from the water
:D

thanks for all the help and seggestions, especially beaklet (ta Sue)

Dave
 
dave gore said:
Result !!!!

just got it from work, 630am so it's all nice and quiet and there are birds drinking from the water
:D

thanks for all the help and seggestions, especially beaklet (ta Sue)

Dave
The honour was all mine Dave. Thanks so much for keeping us posted on 'what happened next'. Before you know it they will be taking thier daily baths in it!!!
They are an absolute joy to watch aren't they?
Take Care
Sue.
 
I'm at the beginner point as well and wanted to attract additional birds with water -- as well as just the idea of giving them water. Makes ME thirsty just to watch them eat all those dry seeds......haha.

I bought a simple little birdbath and put it out about 10 feet from the feeders. Didn't get any attention at all but very well could just be my impatience after having it there only a week. I went the next step with buying a small pump. I bought a medium sized flower pot and found the pan (meant to sit beneath it) that was the right size to sit on top just fitting down inside. Put a hole in the middle of the pan for the tube from the pump to come up through. The tube has a little "horn" on top that makes a little fountain. I put rocks in that pan to give me that trickle / gurgle sound instead of just water hitting the plastic pan. The water runs back down inside the pot to the pump through that same hole. I put that contraption beside the regular birdbath and placed them both 30-40 feet from the feeders.

So far, I've had just house finches in the birdbath. Some birds hover at the fountain but there's really not enough room there for them to land and not be IN the water of the fountain itself. I need to go with a bigger pan and those rocks to keep the whole thing stable. Still thinking through how to expand the whole thing. But still a pleasure to see the birds at least taking a drink now.

Last night I had my first Brown Thrasher. He walked around eyeing the fountain and the birdbath but he didn't hop up on either. So after he left, I went out and put out a clay pan on the ground by the other two things just to have SOME water offering there at ground level.

If the aliens ARE observing us.....they surely will think the birds are the rulers based on my OCD like behavior........but I'm having fun......haha.

Steve
 
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