Lucky you. Lovely. I also wondered if my location had anything to do with the lack of abluting avians. I am close to a lot of clay pits and overflow gullies etc so plenty of choice but they bathe in the puddles in our approach lane so I dismissed that idea. I now have 5 options. 1. A shallow dish on top of an overgrown bank. 2. A shallow dish on the slab at the edge of the pond. 3. A shallow dish on top of a 2ft upturned container in the middle of a mini patio area. 4. A shallow dish on top of a 2ft planter under an overhanging Dierama, at the edge of the pond. 5. My de luxe suite close to the feeder station. I think it might be overkill or desperation!
My garden birds seem to have a routine of taking their baths just as the sun is going down. There was a wren in my paint tray a few minutes ago. So it might be that you're just not watching at the right time! My garden wren likes to make a circuit of the property at sundown too, like it's checking that everything's switched off before it goes to bed.
Although I have birds coming to the feeder all day, they seme to come mainly at first light and again late afternoon to top up before going to bed. I have watched them at all times during the day as I have been recovering from a health scare so had plenty of time to sit and stare. I have had wrens in my garden for several years, I love them. They are like mice runnning around the tops of my containers, but so noisy when upset!I am fairly certain they nest in the old privy, no door on it now. It is now covered in ivy so last year housed some tits and a blackbird. Now I am reluctant to cut the ivy back as it positively hums with bees and insects when it is in flower in late summer.
I get all sorts in my bird bath . Unfortunately next door put out bread for the birds and the crows and other large species bring huge great chunks of it and dip it in the bath water . Consequently we have the mixture for a bread pudding most days .
Yuck! My neigbour puts out lumps of bread for her chickens but there are too many of them fighting over it for the seagulls to have a look in. Thank goodness. She has a problem with the new invasion of stoats which steal and eat her eggs. She keeps finding empty eggshells and recently found a chicken nest in the undergrowth with about 20 eggs in it. Some of her chickens prefer to lay their eggs "plien aire" and like to roost in the trees at night rather than go into the hen house. They are strange black things with feather frills around their ankles.
Bread is so bad for birds too - I wish people would stop doing it I think all you can do is try a variety of containers in a variety of sites @Joyce Goldenlily, and see what takes their fancy. I finally sorted a pic I got of the dunnock using the gutter for it's bath The gutter needs fixed properly with another bracket. Don't know who installed it but it's a shoddy job. I'll end up doing it though, no doubt. It would save workmen trampling around in my property though, so a better idea.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have seen birds in the guttering of my shed but I thought they were just searching for spiders etc., or having a drink. No sign of them having a bath I have seen a few birds using the deluxe bath as a brief perch so maybe with time, they will venture in.
One thing to think about with lots of shallow water about - bees and maybe other flying insects. I put a new shallow dish out for my robin last summer, by the evening I spotted two bees stuck floating in it. I rescued them but had to put stones in the water so they could get out but then robin couldn't bath! He only really did it in winter though so didn't matter too much admittedly.
We have several bird baths of differing sizes, depths etc but the favourite place seems to be in the jug and bowl water feature, where some stand under the waterfall to have a shower. They queue up to use it and even manage to flap about, having a bath in the gap between the jug and the edge of the bowl. The new half barrel is proving very popular with the pigeons and the squirrels.
Yes - I always make sure there's a little 'ramp' of gravel and bits of broken pots or rocks at the edge of any trays. My pond has lots of very shallow little spots with the gravel, and rocks etc, so it's perfect for wasps and bees. I love watching them use the facilities on a sunny day.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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I also wondered if my location had anything to do with the lack of abluting avians. I am close to a lot of clay pits and overflow gullies etc so plenty of choice but they bathe in the puddles in our approach lane so I dismissed that idea.
I now have 5 options.
1. A shallow dish on top of an overgrown bank.
2. A shallow dish on the slab at the edge of the pond.
3. A shallow dish on top of a 2ft upturned container in the middle of a mini patio area.
4. A shallow dish on top of a 2ft planter under an overhanging Dierama, at the edge of the pond.
5. My de luxe suite close to the feeder station.
I think it might be overkill or desperation!
My neigbour puts out lumps of bread for her chickens but there are too many of them fighting over it for the seagulls to have a look in. Thank goodness.
She has a problem with the new invasion of stoats which steal and eat her eggs. She keeps finding empty eggshells and recently found a chicken nest in the undergrowth with about 20 eggs in it. Some of her chickens prefer to lay their eggs "plien aire" and like to roost in the trees at night rather than go into the hen house. They are strange black things with feather frills around their ankles.
I think all you can do is try a variety of containers in a variety of sites @Joyce Goldenlily, and see what takes their fancy.
I finally sorted a pic I got of the dunnock using the gutter for it's bath
The gutter needs fixed properly with another bracket. Don't know who installed it but it's a shoddy job. I'll end up doing it though, no doubt. It would save workmen trampling around in my property though, so a better idea.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have seen a few birds using the deluxe bath as a brief perch so maybe with time, they will venture in.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...