Samrc Posted May 21, 2006 Posted May 21, 2006 A week and a half ago I put a simple bird bath in my front yard under a splindly Jerusalem Thorn tree (no shade from the wispy fine leaves and tiny yellow blossoms). I placed it there so it can be seen by me out my front window when I am at the computer. It's also 12 feet away from the cat's favorite perch so they could have some entertainment. The water is refreshed every evening when I get home. A pair of doves and a blue jay come to drink often. But the only one that uses it for drinking and bathing is a GIGANTIC black crow. He gets in and flaps around (driving the cats crazy ) but leaving no water behind. I have to go out an rinse/refill after his visit. Anyone have suggestions to get the other birds to bathe? Quote
Madmanmcp Posted May 21, 2006 Posted May 21, 2006 Add a shower, maybe the birds don't have time for a bath Sorry, I couldn't resists. Quote
chatbug Posted May 21, 2006 Posted May 21, 2006 Haha... or perhaps just running water? Would save the washing and re-filling. Could it possibly be too deep for the other birds, but just nice for the big crow? I've seen birds taking their bird bath on puddles on the road, and it's very shallow. Quote
makaveli Posted May 21, 2006 Posted May 21, 2006 you could use an air horn when the crow comes to scare it away so it learns to stay away reminds me of my freinds dad who creosote'd the bird house he had.. outside.. and er.. in, the poor things suffocated Quote
Samrc Posted May 21, 2006 Author Posted May 21, 2006 The running water is not possible. We are in drought mode and limited watering allowed (unless I put in a pond/waterfall... and that's not likely to happen) The other birds have not even gotten into the water, only walk along the edge and drink. My mother also has a bird bath outside her computer room and cardinals and bluejays are always in attendence just before sundown. Her bath is not deeper than mine, and with the film on the windows, the birds can not see the salivating cats watching them so that is not a problem. The crow is as big as one of my cats! I won't refill after he leaves and see if the dribble of water that is left is more inviting than a full bath..... Quote
cajunman4life Posted May 21, 2006 Posted May 21, 2006 We are in drought mode and limited watering allowed In Florida? You're mostly surrounded by water lol. Arizona... now that's a drout. Just teasin ya Sam Quote
Samrc Posted May 21, 2006 Author Posted May 21, 2006 I've seen some areas of Arizona first hand....parts of Florida are starting to look like it! NAH, not quite. Brush fires abound though, even Interstate 95 was closed for a few days due to smoke hazard and dead trees falling onto the roadway! With the run-off ponds drying out, leaving gullys of dry weeds, I was sure the bird bath would be appreciated by the neighborhood birds. Maybe it is not protected enough...to wide open to attack since it has no bushes or other protection nearby. Quote
cajunman4life Posted May 21, 2006 Posted May 21, 2006 So I guess the old saying "If you build it, they will come" no longer applies? Quote
Samrc Posted May 21, 2006 Author Posted May 21, 2006 A bluejay came by to drink just now, but no bath. Guess I just have a bunch of dirty birds! Quote
stevevan Posted May 21, 2006 Posted May 21, 2006 Maybe they are doing their part to conserve water also! Quote
TCH-Tim Posted May 21, 2006 Posted May 21, 2006 We are in drought mode and limited watering allowed I'd have to agree with Aaron - head about 2000 miles West and we'll show you what a drought looks like. It's so dry here my "desert landscaping" plants are dying. But I digress. Not a fan of birdbaths myself. More birds = more bird poo. Quote
Deverill Posted May 21, 2006 Posted May 21, 2006 Maybe, Steve. They may sense/see the drought here and settle for drinking out of some kind of instinct. It sure is dry though... and fires are scary in the Keys, and I guess elsewhere, because Wilma's flooding (salt water) killed a lot of brush and with it dry it's just so much kindling. Supposed to rain a little the next couple of days though. Maybe they do want privacy... we don't bathe in the wide open, why should they? Quote
Samrc Posted May 22, 2006 Author Posted May 22, 2006 Bird FEEDER = more bird poo Bird BATH = cheap entertainment for pets, no poo to clean so far My crow just reappeared at the bath....just drinking tonight. Oscar, my cat, is trying to talk bird. I had a cat that would not use a litter box if being watched....maybe the birds need protective screening (bushes, etc) to provide more sense of safety/security...HMMMM On the drought... You folks gotta grant that there is a difference! Comparing raisins and watermelons! Arizona is SUPPOSED to be dry. It has its own style of beauty, but is known as a dry state. Florida is supposed to be Tropical. We are supposed to have daily rain storms starting late spring throughout the summer. We are several inches down so far this year. We have acres of woodlands and underbrush burning uncontrollably, jumping fire lines, burning homes, threatening businesses. Smoke from the fires has caused multi-car pileups, road closures..... And the Keys have their own problem with water. One pipeline coming in with fresh water! (We go to Marathon every year). Fire hazards would be worst there...limited evacuation route! Quote
TCH-Tim Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 We are supposed to have daily rain storms starting late spring throughout the summer. We are several inches down so far this year. We have acres of woodlands and underbrush burning uncontrollably, jumping fire lines, burning homes, threatening businesses. Smoke from the fires has caused multi-car pileups, road closures..... And the Keys have their own problem with water. One pipeline coming in with fresh water! (We go to Marathon every year). Fire hazards would be worst there...limited evacuation route! *TCH-Tim makes note to skip FL vacation this year... Quote
cajunman4life Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 *TCH-Tim makes note to skip FL vacation this year... *cajunman4life agrees I'll stick to my desert Quote
Samrc Posted May 22, 2006 Author Posted May 22, 2006 When (if) our storms start in, they are a wonderful gift. Used to set your watch to it...every afternoon at 4pm we got a nice rain or thunderstorm that lasted an hour or so. When it would leave, outside temp would drop 15 degrees or so, making the evenings clear and very comfortable. The rain storms have the added benefit of clearing out the theme parks! HEHEHEHE Locals at the park just put on ponchos, get on a ride or two to wait out the storms. The rest of the evening is terrific with half the population in the parks! Quote
stevevan Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 *TCH-Tim makes note to skip FL vacation this year... Don't skip the vacation! We need the tourist dollars! (As if I don't pump enough into the hotel rooms as it is!) Sami- Maybe a small curtain is just the thing to help the birds out! Quote
Deverill Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 Tim, if you skip the vacation, at least send the normal amount of money you would have spent! Our economy depends on tourist dollars. lol Quote
TCH-JimE Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 You might want to have multi bird baths Sam. JimE Quote
chatbug Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 Hmm... a large permanent puddle on the ground? *giggles* Quote
stevevan Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 You might want to have multi bird baths Sam. Would that be for a "his" and "hers" bath? Quote
TCH-Bruce Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 known as a dry state. *TCH-Bruce has heard of dry counties before but that's a different kind of dry! Quote
Samrc Posted May 22, 2006 Author Posted May 22, 2006 You might want to have multi bird baths Sam. To invite a flock of crows? Quote
TCH-Tom Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 Just to scare you, I read this in a Book " Crows are considered omens of bad news, misfortune and death. When you see or hear a crow cawing, you say Sto Kalo… Sto Kalo…. Kala Nea na me Feris which loosely translated means, go well into the day and bring me good news " Quote
Deverill Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 That's different. Where I grew up we just say "Shoo, get outta here" and chase them off. Quote
Samrc Posted May 22, 2006 Author Posted May 22, 2006 Well after many years of people being sick and dying in my family, we are down to only three of us. Never had crows around before or during all the illness or death, so maybe it's a sign that luck is changing for the better! And I like Friday the 13th too. Quote
stevevan Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 To invite a flock of crows? You could hang a sign that says "Crows" and "gulls" Quote
Samrc Posted May 22, 2006 Author Posted May 22, 2006 NO SIGN FOR GULLS. I want the pretty birds...cardinals, blue jays, doves and even red-headed woodpeckers that visit my oak tree (20 ft away from the bath) to visit the bath, not invite more huge (unattractive) birds like sea gulls, pigeons and grackles, and crows! Quote
Deverill Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 Pretty but dumb as a box of rocks! I was walking to work from where I park and on several days over a 2 week period I heard a ping-ping-ping-ping sound of something hitting what was obviously metal. One day I saw him. It was a stupid woodpecker on a metal power pole we had in the area. No bugs in there stupid little woodpecker. Only in Key West! Quote
makaveli Posted May 22, 2006 Posted May 22, 2006 pidegons are horrible.. but people race them and that so fair do but Seagulls what in the name of all that is holy is the point in thm, theyre horrible noisy and make a lot of "mess" Quote
TCH-Thomas Posted May 23, 2006 Posted May 23, 2006 We only have a blackbird visiting us every evening on our balcony, thankfully since I have a fobia for birds. Quote
Samrc Posted May 23, 2006 Author Posted May 23, 2006 Nope not only in Key West. When I lived in an apartment at the north end of town years ago for a couple months straight I awakened to the drumming of the dumbest woodpecker on earth. He was trying desperately to create a hole in my gutter drain pipe just outside of my bedroom window! It was painted to look like wood to blend in. Talk about racket! And Florida mocking birds are the dumbest. They attack windows that reflect. Especially if they have film on them, smashing head long into windows time and time and time again, for about five months of the year. In the process, paint from the window frame and jam is damaged and eventually there's a chance that the bird will be injured or glass broken. After many tries to deter him from trying to kill his competition, I came up with a stringing an "X" made of clear nylon thread between wrought iron posts on my front porch. The clear thread causes a glint in the sun distracting him and making him turn away. Every spring I have to re-string the thread. Cheap safe solution to a major headache. Quote
chatbug Posted May 23, 2006 Posted May 23, 2006 Nice solution to the mocking bird problem! I find it sad to see birds smashing into windows or get trapped inside a house/building... poor birds. Quote
Samrc Posted May 23, 2006 Author Posted May 23, 2006 I got the idea from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. They have a beautiful area for the flamingos and other birds that is wide open to the sky. Local birds have clipped wings so they can hop around a bit but not fly away. Yet no ducks and other non-resident birds land in the pond or around it. I asked a zoo keeper how this is done. He pointed to the top of four 12 ft tall posts. They used clear fishing line to string a large horizontal "X" over the top of the pond. Since the line was clear, humans below did not see it until they knew it was there, but the invading birds would shy away from the area because of the confusion. Even though theirs was a horizontal X and mine would be vertical I thought the concept would be the same. It was. 10 years later, I still do the same little trick. No damage to my home or birds. Safe, quiet, non-intrusive fix to a major headache. Quote
MikeJ Posted May 23, 2006 Posted May 23, 2006 Now this is cat entertainment... The birds perch on my windows all the time. Quote
Samrc Posted May 23, 2006 Author Posted May 23, 2006 I love that photo! My cats pound on the window trying to get to lizards and dragonflies that spend time on the sill. If they did that it would scare the bird away. Quote
makaveli Posted May 23, 2006 Posted May 23, 2006 i remember seeing a bird fly into a window at school. we were in detention and the slightest noise we made, we'd end up in it deep... not a peep... shhhh! but how can you not laugh when a "donk" breaks the silence Quote
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