For bird entertainment, this is the best £15 ive spent.

Steve_In_Cheshire · #1 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 07:31 PM

Its certainly the best £15 ive invested when it comes to entertainment in the garden, the starlings jump in like penguins

..... Most of our daily visitors use it, the blackbirds were a bit shy at first but now you can`t keep them out of it.

Sorry the images arn`t the clearest as they were taken through a window with a small digi as i didn`t want to spook them, you get the idea

Pippa · #2 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 08:09 PM

Hi Steve,wonderful.

I have 5 baths and they get emptied every day.Water is so important to them, especially when the weather is dry.I absolutely adore watching too

ellen h · #3 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 08:14 PM

Love watching them too,we have two old dog bowls that make good birdbaths too.Also have two proper birdbaths,have to fill them up at least three times a day-especially with this hot weather

ellen

Steve_In_Cheshire · #4 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pippa

Hi Steve,wonderful.

I have 5 baths and they get emptied every day.Water is so important to them, especially when the weather is dry.I absolutely adore watching too

5 baths

..... I can see why though as we quite often we get a que in the bushes waiting to have a go. Yeh i fill ours at least 3 times a day as they get very dirty.

I think i`ll invest in another one for the top corner of the garden as its very little outlay for great entertainment in return and the birds love a good splash about.

The chicks are funny the first time they have a go as you know, they are very tentative at first and they will just go in slightly and then sit back on the side but its not long before they are jumping in and spashing about.

Pippa · #5 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 08:25 PM

Know what you mean Steve,i adore watching them.

I don't have a pond and water is so important,sometimes more so than food.

Ellen,i have used everything over the years.

Steve_In_Cheshire · #6 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 08:46 PM

I have a tray on the ground what i use for the birds drinking water, its quite large but not too deep, its just right for a them to use for a drink.

One of our blackbirds a hen uses it as a paddling pool and bath, she seems to prefer it over the main bird bath for some reason, after the hen has had a bath she can sit in the drinks tray for a good 20 mins and woe betide any other bird that tries to come for a drink while she is relaxing in the water as she will chase them off, she then goes back to the drinks tray and sits in the water again

Cheryl · #7 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 08:53 PM

I love watching the birds in the water, especially the starlings - I have a bird bath and a shallow bowl with water. I moved the bowl the otherday about a foot from where it is normally placed as a plant was overgrowing it - the sparrows were obviously confused when they flew down to the spot where it used to be and were craning their heads as if to say "where is it?" but soon sussed it out

Pippa · #8 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 09:00 PM

Great to watch the Starlings who can empty a bath in seconds

and for all the other birds too.Anything that holds water is a yes yes.

Squirrelx · #9 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 09:11 PM

Hi Steve

I am really jealous as I have an identical but although all my birds drink from it none have ever bathed in it - unless you count the blue tit who leaned over too far when the water level was a bit low and fell in!!!

bobbarber · #10 (**permalink**) 04-07-2009, 01:00 AM

Hello Steve, the only bird that seems to bathe in my pond or bird bath is a male blackbird which he does several times a day. The finches, tits and other birds only appear to drink. Maybe it`s because we haven`t had the heatwave that you have in the U.K.

...Bob