Selecting Feeders
Mar 4, 2020Importance of Native Plants
Mar 5, 2020
Water Features
Attract Birds Using Water
Want to bring more birds to your backyard? Add a simple water feature. And I do mean “simple.” Either a pedestal or ground bird bath will do the trick splendidly!
Simple Water Tips for Attracting Birds
Safety
Keep your bird bath 6-10 feet from a tree, bush or ground cover that will provide protection if a Raptor or cat shows up. (But don’t put it so close that cats can use vegetation to pounce on birds near the bath.)
Shade
Place your bird bath where it will get far more shade than sunlight.
Depth
Remember, your birds are going to drink and bathe...not go cliff diving! Keep your water depth at 2 inches max. Anything over that will spook the birds since they don’t (quite literally) want to get in over their heads. Also place some small, smooth river rocks in the middle of your bird bath. This will give your birds a place to stand and make your bath more inviting!
Moving Water
Birds are attracted to moving water. Over the millennia, birds have learned that moving water is safer to drink than stagnant water. Consider getting a BWS Water Wiggler. Either battery or solar powered, these dandy little inventions agitate water day and night, cutting down on bacteria and making mosquito egg hatches impossible.
Bird Bath Heaters
Birds need to drink and bathe year ‘round. BWS has both heated bird baths with integrated heating elements, as well as heating elements you can add to your existing bird bath. They don’t jack the temperature up to hot tub levels. Instead they keep the water temp warm enough so that ice can’t form.
Cleaning and Filling
It’s best for the birds to clean and fill your bird bath daily. This doesn’t need to be a long and arduous task. Simply keep a little dish soap and a handled pot scrubber next to your garden hose. Dump the old water, add a drop of dish soap, scrub it around with your pot scrubber for 20 seconds then hit it with the hose. With the grime flushed out, fill it with fresh water. Elapsed time: 2 minutes, tops!