Question About BIrdbath

I have one now and have several drinking, but nobody bathing! I have a large rock in the center for them to land on. Would it be better to have no rock or to have smaller rocks? I want some action in that thing! lol

If you could show me pics of how yours is inside the bowl that would be helpful...I need visual aids!

Thanks

Nanny, my experience is that the birds don't like anything in the centre as they tend to dive in from the sides towards the centre and a rock is an impediment. As long as the bath is shallow enough, there shouldn't be any need for rocks in or around the bowl. If the bird bath is placed in close proximity to trees with branches within easy reach, they like to use these rather than the rim of the birdbath as it allow them a better view of any potential predators. In hot weather, spraying the local area with the hose in the late afternoon is often enough to attract them to the bath.

I keep on rock in the bath in the back. They like to sit on it.

And this one has a "kiddie pool" section in the middle. They enjoy that perch also! GM :)

Oh I like the one with the kidde pool GM! Mine is an older on so it is a little deeper than they make them now. Okay I will try a different approach here. It is located somewhat under the trees so branches are within easy reach. At least I did that part right! I was wondering about that.

Thanks

I have a bath similar to yours, grandmaggie, and mostly the bluebirds use it for bathing but the cardinals drink out of it, too. It does have a bird ornament on it that water comes out of, if I would plug it in but I kept having to unplug it for my husband to mow so I just quit plugging it in. The real birds like to perch on the bird ornament. I do have a rock in mine but it's more like a piece of petrified wood and has a depression in it. They don't seem to mind it being there. I also have a solar powered bath with a fountain in the middle and wasnt sure if the birds liked it at first but I have seen an orchard oriole bathing in it recently.
But it never fails that if we get enough rain to leave a puddle in our graveled driveway the birds still prefer it to the baths.

I think it may also depend on the types of birds you get. Chickadees never bathe at my place (I have an artificial stream replacing the various bird baths I've had over the years...never seen one bathe). When I had the regular baths, I rarely saw birds bathe, only drink. I never could figure out why. So it isn't just you!

aaah haaaa!

I had the ugliest plastic, shallow bird bath ever. The only way I could keep the tub level was to keep a couple rocks in it. Birds used it for drinking and bathing all the time.

I replaced it a month ago with the most beautiful, deep blue, ceramic bath. It's mucher deeper so I put a rock in it. I've seen birds drinking from it, but not a single bather!@!?! I removed the rock, and haven't seen a customer yet. Go figure.

I have to say, birds are odd when it comes to this stuff. In my stream and "pond" (it is filled in with river rock, so it can be as shallow or deep as the birds want it to be), the goldfinches took to it right away. They always used the "pond", but no problem. Crows also took to it right away. I now have a cardinal couple who come by to bathe every day. I've seen grackles in their masses take up the whole stream to bathe. And have seen some other unknown birds bathing and/or drinking. Never a chickadee or titmouse.

Just yesterday I watched as they finally came back to the feeders with their fledglings in the neighboring woods, and saw many swoop down trying to figure out where to land in the stream (which has large rocks along the sides, plus some in the middle). I just stood there dumbfounded. "All the other birds can do it!", I wanted to yell, "what's wrong with YOU guys?!" :)

Silly birds.

LOL!!!!

chuckle! Yeah, the goldfinch are the bravest. Squirrels enjoy it, too.

My birdbath is just a regular concrete one. Don't have any idea how deep. Anyhow, everything that wants a bath uses it - grackles (and they are BIG) use it and so do the smaller ones. I've never seen a dove in there and we have gillions of mourning and white wings. Guess they don't like getting wet. Don't know. I do know that the grackles and starlings really like the water pretty warm - almost hot. The bath is in full sun which most birds seem to prefer as they don't want people and critters creeping up on them. Edited to add that I don't have rocks or anything but water in the bath.

Ann

This message was edited Jun 20, 2008 1:10 PM