How often do birds bathe and drink?

[FUDGEY]

Might be a tricky one this. I have bulit a decent sized water feature at my hide in the hope of getting some bathing or drinking photos. I have only spent about 20 hours there since I got it up and running and in that time I have only seen a Blue Tit bathing briefly and 4 birds having a quick drink. I have a good number of birds and varying species. The one i want most is the Sparrowhawk bathing. What are the chances? I would have expected that a bird bathes daily? One for the clever people I think.

[FUDGEY]

Not great photos, Im still tweaking things to get it the way I want it.

[willowjay]

Fantastic shots, Fudgey, one of my favourite birds.

How shallow is your water feature? In our garden a large plastic base for a pot plant, about 40 cm diameter serves as drinking and bathing place. It's only about 9 cm deep, and is filled every day. Most visitors to the garden drink there, and some bathe, mostly starlings and blackbirds, occasionally woodpigeons. (And after half a dozen juvenile starlings have had a splash about, it needs filling more often )

So my question about your feature - it looks beautifully natural - but can the birds have confidence that it isn't too deep for them to bathe?

willowjay

[loripo]

Beautiful photos, especially the reflections. Perhaps they are waiting for you to finish tweaking I did wonder if the weather/temperature made any difference to how often they would bathe.

[FUDGEY]

Thanks folk, the water is perfect depth. It is 2 inches deep at near side and slowly gets shallower to about quarter of an inch. ideal for small and larger birds

[Kayleigh]

Lovely shots and great birds they are really shy here..

[ellen h]

Lovely photos and the water feature looks great,love the "natural"look

[King Edward]

Hi Fudgey,

Just to make you jealous, I have twice recently spotted a Sparrowhawk bathing in my new pond. So, I think you have a decent chance. Both times it was in the afternoon, about 2:00 pm. Haven't seen that many other birds using it yet though - a pair of Crows and the odd Woodpigeon or two (plus Mallards, which fortunately haven't been recently). Being a shallow rubber-lined pond, the possibility of Sparrowhawk damage does rather concern me (there's a fairly thin sand layer in the shallows). What really worries mee, though, is the prospect of a Heron spearing his beak right through the base, especially when one visits next spring and finds a pond full of tasty frogs, toads and newts.

[Kayleigh]

I found remains in my birdbath on return from my holiday so a spawk had been there..not drinking or bathing though..

[FUDGEY]

Ty all, King Edward, I actually had a Male Sparrowhawk land on it two days ago and he eye it up. I was shaking in anticipation he was going to use it. I get regular visits from them in the Winter so im confident Ill get some photos. In the mean time you are correct.... I am jelous lol