We've had a bird bath in our yard for over 20 years. We do enjoy seeing them flapping around in it! You are right though, about the poop...ick!

We haven't got one like that but we do have a pond and the birds like to take their baths under the falls. It is really cute to watch. We also have just an ordinary bird bath and change the water all of the time to prevent mosquito larvae from forming.

{{!gwi}}

We had an old cement birdbath when I was a child. Nasty to clean up after the birdies! I got excited when I saw in the link that this was a 'solar' bath. I thought it would warm the water in winter. That's when birds have a hard time finding water in some areas.

Not this one, but I bet you can find one that does keep the water from freezing....

I use a huge heavy plastic plant saucer; it's about 16" across and 3" deep. It sits on an 18" exposed aggregate stepping stone on the ground. I keep a piece of broken paver in the water so there's a large, shallow area for the smaller birds.

All of my backyard critters love it. It's full of doves, robins, finches of all flavors...all the birds.

And the squirrels are so cute. It's so low to the ground it's very easy for them to get a sip of water, too.

I rinse it out and refill it every morning. It's part of my routine. I think the squirrels wait in readiness for as soon as I refill it with fresh water and start to walk away, here they come. They put their front paws on the edge of the saucer and lap, and lap, and lap. They drink a surprisingly large amount of water.

I've seen rabbits drinking from it, too.

I love my non-tradtional bird bath.

It's very important to keep fresh water in it. If the grackles get to be too much of a problem you can make a cage top out of 1x2 wire that would probably keep them out and let the smaller birds in. You can Google for big bird-proofing ideas; I know I've seen them in my Internet wanderings.

I have 6 bird baths in my yard...but it is about 2 acres...also several tanks with waterlilies. I also have water out by a squirrel feeder at the beginning of my driveway, and across from my front gate, I keep a big stone dish full of water for a couple of stray cats and anything else that needs a drink. Plenty of water here...on a bayou and a two acre pond on one side of the place, smaller pond in the woods, and a creek down the property line in two places...but I still keep water out all the time for all the creatures.

we've had one for years and they never used it! they don't use the fish pond either...well exept for the heron who came 2 years in a row and ATE our poor fish...it can't do that anymore! we have a wire cover over them now...it could be they would rather use the creek/dtainage ditch instead...

Now you've done it Kat! I have a regular birdbath... but I want one of the solar fountain ones now!! lol

I do get a good assortment of birds at the one I have, but not as many as I used to get when we had a larger deck. I've heard that running water from fountains like these will really attract our feathered friends. I'll be on the lookout for a sale now.

I have my parents cement birdbath (it's older than I am) and several others. I change the water daily. When we lived in NH we had an electric heater that kept the bb from freezing.
There is nothing more entertaining than watching the birds.
We sat one Sunday afternoon and watched a flock of bluebirds take their baths. They all sat on the rim and took turns, if one took too long one of the others would jump in and hurry him along. LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Birdbath heater

I have one at home in TX.We have an apricot tree in the front yard here that has a brick curb around it.DH puts the water on it and it fills it up and the birds love it.We started saving the toast scraps from the twins breakfast and let them throw them in the yard for the birds.They have so much fun watching the birds get the bread and take it to the water and douse it then eat it.LOL That is their morning ritual now.They eat their breakfast,take the bread scraps to the yard then sit at the picture window or on the porch and watch the birds.LOL

I did. When DS moved into my house, he transformed it into a planter.

I have a concrete BB that I think I've had "forever."

I rinse it out and add fresh water each day. The other day I happened to see a robin with a worm in his beak, perch on the edge of the BB and dip the worm in, give it a swish and fly off with it. Never had seen that before. I didn't know birds washed their food. I thought that was just raccoons.

My DD has one of those heaters for her BB.

I accidentally learned something about cleaning the BB. I don't keep water in it in the winter, and always had turned
the top over to keep it from freezing if rain or snow got in it. For the last two years I didn't turn it, and found that in the Spring it was cleaner than ever before.

About those grackles. I'm trying to encourage cardinals, and the grackles chase them away!! Arrgghh!

Sue

We have that same one,DH got it from qvc.One of our yard guys knocked it over while doing the yard and broke it.He offered to pay for it,but dh said no it was ok.So he(dh) ordered a new solar part and it cost almost as much as the original BB,and it didn't even work.I still have it,it doesn't have the water bubbling up anymore and i continually have to refill it.

I've had BB's for years and we also have a pond and several bird feeders.
kathi

Here's my non-traditional, plain but serviceable, bird and critter watering hole!

If you squinch your eyes, and cock your head, you might make out a red spot toward the front center of the saucer. That's a Pileated Woodpecker fledgling splashing in it.

He had just left the nest. His red top-knot was still in spikes. I had to zoom in with the camera, and then really zoom in on the cropping to get him to show up at all.

I know he'd just love one of the real birdbaths with a dripper or fountain...and so would I!

I have about 13 around the yard plus two ponds. I used to go to auctions and got most there but sometimes people put them out for the trash.

Yes, we have always had a bird bath in the yard. Ours is metal, it does freeze in the winter....but unthaws during the day just enough so the birds can drink around the edges....I also pour hot water on it. :0) We get ALL kinds of birds. No need to feed them....just give them a bath.

We have 4 of the plastic plant saucers on the ground and one elevated, plus we have a fiberglass fountain. We love watching the birds bathe and watching our crows dunk their bread in the water, then fish it back out. Our squirrels enjoy getting their drinks of water too.

I have a concrete one, but I don't have the top put on the base since winter is over. I can't lift it.

Sue

We have great big square baking pans (industrial sized) that I got at the good will. They sit beneath faucets that DH rigged to drip, so they always have fresh water. I keep a brick or two in them so the little birds have shallower places to get a drink. Last spring, we had 26 species of birds on our bird count sheet. I think it is because of the continuous fresh water...they tell all of their buddies. We also have cats, dogs,squirrels, guinea's, peacocks, a fox and a 'coon who come in for a drink. We have lots of feeders of different kinds here and there too! Did you know that woodpeckers and wrens like to share the hummingbird feeders?? Guess they like the sweet juice to wash down their suet/seed/bug snacks!!

Here's mine b4 it got broke,

And after

Kathi