I have miniature waterlilies in my pond that zuzzy things use when having a drink. It is surprising how many and how diverse insects and critters come to drink
I don't see bumblebees drinking, but the Bumblebee Conservation Trust says that they don't really need water. Wasps on the other hand, I always see drinking, I was quite surprised the first time I saw them.
grey plastic planter, approximately 12 inches deep, lined with black pond liner to make it waterproof. I put sandy gravel and cobbles in it to make it more shallow. I have seen a few birds taking a quick drink but no bathing. It is on top of a base about 2ft 6ins tall in an open area near the bird feeders and there are banks, trees, and bushes close by for perching. The water level is about 3-4 ins deep, and the diameter of the bowl is around 24 inches across.
Probably all already said, Joyce, but here my two thoughts. Your birth bad is around 1 meter high, and the actual depth where a bird can stand on is 10 cm/3.5nch. Where I live, we have no bird with such high legs. Even the crows have smaller legs, if I'm correct. Tits and sparrows are around 6 cm high and their legs are no longer than an inch. Birds love to stand in water and only wet the wings to shovel the water over their body.
I have all together 5 baths, which need to be cleaned daily in summer. 3 of them have different sizes in diameter between 20 to 40 cm but are just 1 inch deep. They are just plastic plant saucers. They are located by the view panel at the entrance of the garden. Tits, sparrows and finches love to hang on the panel, fly through into the bath and back again to the panel giving the next one a chance. I had the pleasure last summer to watch them when around 30 sparrows, tits and finches were having their half an hour bath time (until the Starlings came in). The 4th bath is a carved wooden bowl on the ground surrounded by plants near the Lilac tree. It has got a flat border of 3 inches approx in most parts and is around 4 cm deep. Tits don't use it, but sparrows and finches. When they fly
down, there are 5 or 6 little birds waiting on that border until each of them had a bath. The 5th birth bad is the top of a 40cm bath that came with a base, but I didn't buy the base. I don't really like this one, because it's too heavy for me, but this bath is used by pigeons and blackbirds, but it's also used by sparrows, tits and finches. It's in the shade most of the time and next to it is a crab apple tree.
Just finished the bath.
From what I observed in my garden is that birds love to have the bath on the ground, because they come in as a group. Only pigeons and blackbirds come on their own. Probably also a standing bath is visited by the small birds like in Dove's image on page 1 but the ivy or what it is gives the impression it's not high above the ground.
I myself would only have baths on the ground which makes it easier to raise one side to get the water out.
Thank you for your thoughts Simon. I did not make it clear, my high bird bath is on a plinth. The water depth in the bowl is now only a couple of inches deep. I have baths at ground level as well as elevated. My concern about ground level baths is that I have a cat, who is not averse to catching a bird or two if she has the chance.
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Your birth bad is around 1 meter high, and the actual depth where a bird can stand on is 10 cm/3.5nch.
Where I live, we have no bird with such high legs. Even the crows have smaller legs, if I'm correct. Tits and sparrows are around 6 cm high and their legs are no longer than an inch.
Birds love to stand in water and only wet the wings to shovel the water over their body.
I have all together 5 baths, which need to be cleaned daily in summer.
3 of them have different sizes in diameter between 20 to 40 cm but are just 1 inch deep. They are just plastic plant saucers. They are located by the view panel at the entrance of the garden. Tits, sparrows and finches love to hang on the panel, fly through into the bath and back again to the panel giving the next one a chance. I had the pleasure last summer to watch them when around 30 sparrows, tits and finches were having their half an hour bath time (until the Starlings came in).
The 4th bath is a carved wooden bowl on the ground surrounded by plants near the Lilac tree. It has got a flat border of 3 inches approx in most parts and is around 4 cm deep. Tits don't use it, but sparrows and finches. When they fly down, there are 5 or 6 little birds waiting on that border until each of them had a bath.
The 5th birth bad is the top of a 40cm bath that came with a base, but I didn't buy the base. I don't really like this one, because it's too heavy for me, but this bath is used by pigeons and blackbirds, but it's also used by sparrows, tits and finches. It's in the shade most of the time and next to it is a crab apple tree.
Just finished the bath.
From what I observed in my garden is that birds love to have the bath on the ground, because they come in as a group. Only pigeons and blackbirds come on their own. Probably also a standing bath is visited by the small birds like in Dove's image on page 1 but the ivy or what it is gives the impression it's not high above the ground.
I myself would only have baths on the ground which makes it easier to raise one side to get the water out.
I hope I haven't bored you too much.
I ♥ my garden.
I did not make it clear, my high bird bath is on a plinth. The water depth in the bowl is now only a couple of inches deep. I have baths at ground level as well as elevated. My concern about ground level baths is that I have a cat, who is not averse to catching a bird or two if she has the chance.