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rooks magpies pigeons in birdbath

berardeberarde Posts: 147
in Problem solving
I put in the bird bath last year but was disappointed in the few birds that came, occasional goldfinch was a pleasure and blackbirds bathing. No big birds though. Since winter  this year I have rooks, pigeons (wood and feral) and magpies regularly visiting. 

They  splash out most of the water in a couple of days, presumably scare the smaller birds away, but worse still is that I need a sign saying " for reasons of good hygeine , please do not poop in the bath"

The bath is in the border so is open and surrounding plants not growing above its level.

Is there anything I can do?

Ps my wife enjoys the magpies having seen them do  a "wake" for a fellow dead magpie on youtube and really they are very attractive birds
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Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Big birds need a drink too.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • berardeberarde Posts: 147
    I quite agree, but the little birds don't keep the big ones away, and the water wasn't always pooped up before the big ones came; is likely to be spreading disease to both big and small
  • OmoriOmori Posts: 1,674
    Do you have room for a wildlife pond?
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I have the exact same problem, it seems to be the pigeons that do that. To be honest l don't think there's much you can do apart from regular cleaning.
    I also have bits of bread in my bird bath, the magpies and rooks like to leave pieces of bread to soften and don't always come back for it 🍞.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I empty and refill the birdbath every day ... sometimes more at this time of year. We also have a wildlife pond with a shallow beach that some of the larger birds use to bathe in. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • berardeberarde Posts: 147
    Ah a wildlife pond is and idea I have had in mind since last spring, maybe time to put it into action!
  • Chris-P-BaconChris-P-Bacon Posts: 943
    berarde said:
     is likely to be spreading disease to both big and small
    I wouldn't worry..
  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    berarde said:
    Ah a wildlife pond is and idea I have had in mind since last spring, maybe time to put it into action!
    I got rid of my birdbath after a few weeks as it was just a woodpigeon toilet (luckily it was a cheap one!).  All sorts of birds visit the wildlife pond for a drink, robins, sparrows, tits, blackbirds, and of course the woodpigeons!  They don't get in the pond though, just drink from the edge, so no poo problems! 
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    We put a discarded plastic bowl (kitchen sink type) full of water for the dog to drink from but the feral pigeons used it to bathe in, leaving a most unhealthy looking scum on the surface.  We assumed it came from their plumage, so changed it regularly and gave the dog an alternative nearer the house.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Pond here, (we get seagulls as well) and birdie baths,drinkers dotted round the garden.We get all the biggies as well, never found any problems, now if you want to talk about the blackbirds pinching my cherries!!
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