Choosing A Bird Bath
One of the joys of outdoor living is communing with nature. The spring is an especially fun time to watch the birds as they start to build their nests. If you're lucky you may have a bird grace you with a nest nearby and you can watch the hatchlings grow. Birds, like any other animals need a source of fresh water. They love to bathe and they need to drink. A bird bath is a wonderful way to invite birds into your backyard. There is an amazing array of bird baths on the market today, offered in hundreds of different styles and materials. You can find metal bird baths, concrete, copper, glazed and stone. You can find them in any size from large to small. Bird baths also come in plain to fancy. Many bird baths have motifs of flower, ivy, butterflys, dragons or birds themselves. Some people prefer standing bird baths, those that sit on the top of a pedestal. Some prefer lower styles of bird baths, those that sit lower to the ground as they fit better into their overall landscaping. Some prefer hanging bird baths. The type of bird bath you choose will determine the types of birds you'll likely see in it. It's generally taught that birds who feed in high bird feeders are most likely to use a bird bath located above ground, such as a standing bird bath. If you want to attract birds looking for more natural bathing areas, like ponds and streams place a ground bird bath in your yard too. Some people actually place both kinds of bird baths in their yards in an effort to attract the most wild birds. Some people like to fit their bird baths with a drip attachment which creates a drip bird bath. This attachment fits on the outside rim of the birdbath. It fits to your hose or outside faucet and provides dripping or misting water for your birds. Bird experts say that wild birds are attracted to the sound made from the dripping water. One of the most important things to remember about your bird bath is that birds must feel safe while using it. They need to be able to see potential predators and be able to escape quickly. If you have a lot of overgrowth around or over top of your bird bath you will see few birds. Don't forget your birds during the winter time. They still need water, and it can be scarce. If you keep your bird bath up during the winter you'll want to continue to maintain it with fresh water as you did during the summer. Many people use heated bird baths for this purpose. You can purchase a submersible heater that can be placed directly into the water. Most of these will need an electric source. Some heaters will work on solar power, but will not work on overcast or cloudy days. |
