Using a bird bath to attract birds
Provided by: Jorbins.com Online Magazines - Gardening
Keep the water clean and fresh. Stagnant or dirty water in a bird bath can present a health hazard for the birds.
Birds prefer shallow water. If the bird bath you already have or the one you like appears to be too deep you can add rocks to it to give them a place to perch. I personally like the bird baths that slope to the middle so the birds have a way to "wade" in.
It is best if the bath has a rough bottom. If the bird bath you already have is slick you can put some of the decals for bathtubs on the bottome to give the bird bath more traction.
Birds don't fly as well when they are wet so try and place your bird bath in an open area so no cat's can lie in wait. You might consider putting it under a tree branch so the birds just have to fly a bit to reach safety. The birds will feel more secure bathing in it as well.
Make sure when you place your bird bath it is within easy reach of a hose and is placed so you can see it from whatever window you prefer in your house. Keep your bird bath away from your feeders so you don't have to clean-up all the droppings!!
I keep a scrub brush handy so when I go out to fill my bird bath I can give it a quick scrub to loosen any algae that might have formed. Then I just spray it out with the hose before I fill it. About once a month I scrub it out with a solution of 1/3 cup of bleach to 2 cups of water. Be sure and rinse thoroughly after.
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