Eco-gardening is at its best in The Monday Garden
issue 36 December 1, 2002
“In My Garden” is the birdbath in my mother’s garden, photographed just before the Thanksgiving snows came while we had the last of the Autumn color. A birdbath is a great Christmas present.
In the age of malls and condos, just as the birds need us to grow plants they can eat, they depend on us for fresh water for drinking and bathing. Many of the ponds, marshes and streams once relied on are now history. This makes a proper birdbath very popular—and more fun to watch than Animal Planet.
The pictured birdbath serves sparrows, mocking birds, robins, starlings, finches, the local squirrel and the neighbor’s cat. It also provides a focal point in the garden. A birdbath doesn’t need to be fancy; there are many on the market or you can make one. The pictured one is an inexpensive china pasta bowl sitting on a cast-concrete base.
To be bird-friendly, the birdbath needs a thick rim for perching and to be deep enough for splash-baths but not too deep for wading or for the birds to be able to see over the rim (2” to 3” is good). Put the birdbath in an open area, at least 2’ to 3’ off the ground and within a short flight (say 15’ to 50’) of safe perches like bushes and fence railings. Near-by objects must be lower than the birdbath rim. The open space and elevation prevent cats and other predators from using the birdbath as an ambush site. The adjacent perching area allows the birds to check that the area is predator-free, and gives them a waiting place until it’s their turn to bath. Lastly, the water container must be stable enough that it won’t be tipped over by the wind or a bird.
The birdbath should be placed and designed so that it’s easy for you to change the water at least daily. The birds like to take a dust bath, then a water bath, to rid themselves to mites and to clean excess oil of their feathers. However, this leaves the water too muddy for further use.
Winter is extra difficult for the birds since the sprinklers are gone, the fountains drained, and the ponds iced-over. If you’re interested, there are commercially available “bird-sippers” that use black color or electric heat to provide unfrozen drinking water.
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And here’s what readers said:
Thanks for the education on bird baths. We used to have one and I always wondered why the water got dirty so fast and from where all the dirt came. Good to get your newsletter as always. Mary Ann (CT)
Thanks so much for including me on your mailing list. First, what a delightful article! And second, you have solved part of my Christmas shopping dilemma. A birdbath will prove to be the perfect gift for two people on my list. Double thanks. Jack (CT)
Thanks for the gift suggestion - I will check it out. Nanette (TX)
Photo credits: Sue Sweeney
© Sue Sweeney 2005
Comments (2)
I want to have a birdbath but I can barely keep up with brushing my teeth, with a job and baby - any advice?
Posted by MEREDITH | March 12, 2006 9:02 PM
Posted on March 12, 2006 21:02
Meredith -- your birds should reward you for thinking about them at all!
2 ideas:
1. Raid the pet store for an automatic pet watering device with a slow drip feature. It won't be a enough for a bath but the birds will love you for the fresh drinking water . You might have to play around with height, location,etc to get the birds to accept it.
You could probably make something similar out of a gallon milk jug (or 2 gallon water jug) and a piece of thin plastic tubing (from the fish section of the pet store). Raise the jug fairly high of the ground and let gravity cause the water to slowly drip out of the tube into a heavy saucer. You could probably regulate water flow by crimping the tube with a clip of some kind -- ask the guys in the tropical fish store for a suggestion.
2. In the woods, rain water gets trapped in depressions in the larger rocks and is used by the birds for a few days until it evaporates. (Unfortunately they do the same with puddles in the parking lot despite the oil slick. yuk!) You could provide the equivalent of small rock puddles that are naturally filled when it rains and/or you run the sprinkler.
If you find something that works, please post a comment and share the wealth.
good luck
Sue
Posted by S. W. Sweeney | March 15, 2006 4:22 PM
Posted on March 15, 2006 16:22