I had one that cracked. I put a gob of silicone on my index finger and pushed it into the crack.... it held water for years after that until a tree branch landed on it. I just couldn't throw the base away just because the top was smashed so I have a base to play with. I was thinking the other day how it would be cool to drill holes in the sides of the base and grow annuals in it, like those hanging bags.... or maybe I could stick hens and chicks in there too.

Scully, yep - we are a bit warmer here, but it's the overnight hard freezes that crack birdbath basins. On cold winter days, if I notice an ice skim forming, I'll add warm water too, but if I'm gone for the day the risk of freezeover escalates. The heater works 24/7. We've had a warm fall too, but if the Old Farmers Almanac is right, once it gets here, we're in for it this winter. Btw - Everytime I open this thread I get a mental picture of Woodstock ice skating on the birdbath - brings a smile to my face ....... thanks! Another little aside is that in the heat of summer, I take a pitcher full of ice cubes out to the birdbath - the flapping about definitely increases when I cool it down! :o) Love my birds!

If you live in an area that freezes, you really need to bring the birdbath inside for the winter. No matter what you do, the tiles can pop off as the piece expands and contracts in the cold. That being said, I did a birdbath last spring and it is holding up great. I did mine on a terra cotta saucer, but the process should still be the same. I started with a 14" terra cotta saucer like the ones that go underneath clay pots. I rinsed it out and made sure it was free of debris. After it dried, I applied three coats of a penetrating sealer for tile and grout. The one I am using has a 5-year warranty and is a matte finish. There are many products on the market that have a 20-year warranty but they are much more expensive and since I am new to this, I didn't want to go to the extra expense right now. A couple of days after I applied the sealer I adhered the tiles with a pre-mixed concrete patch. Since I was working in the house I didn't want to try and mix my own mortar or thinset. I used the indirect method by designing it on contact paper first then laying it in the bottom of the saucer after I put a thin layer of the concrete patch on the bottom. I used vitreous glass tiles with some light blue glass nuggets in the center. I kept the design very simple as I was not in the mood to cut a bunch of tiles. After three days of letting the adhesive dry, I grouted it with a gray sanded grout using Admix as the liquid. I sealed it with the same matte finish penetrating sealer after the grout cured for several days. I think the most important thing is that the adhesive and the grout have sufficient time to set before use. Good luck with your project. Here is a link that might be useful:

Californians called on to help study disease afflicting native pigeons "(Reuters) - California wildlife authorities are asking residents to take down bird baths and feeders if they spot sick or dead birds in their yards as experts closely monitor a disease afflicting the state's only native pigeon species. Increased mortality rates have been reported since mid-December among California's band-tailed pigeons, which are seen in flocks up to 200-strong during the winter in coastal areas from the San Francisco Bay Area south into Santa Barbara County and in the San Bernardino Mountains. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) blames the deaths on Avian Trichomonosis, a disease caused by a single-celled microscopic protozoan parasite transmitted to the band-tailed pigeons by non-native rock pigeons, also known as city pigeons, which were introduced to North America from Europe. CDFW environmental scientist Krysta Rogers said on Wednesday that the department's Wildlife Investigations Laboratory wants members of the public to be on the lookout for band-tailed pigeons this winter and go online to report any sick or dead bird species they see." This post was edited by claire on Thu, Feb 5, 15 at 13:10