I'm about to set up a new bird bath. It will be sorta permanent so I want to make sure I put it where it will get the most use. I know that birds want to be in the open a bit to keep an eye out for predators. A feeder hangs from a tree. Shall I put the bath near it or keep a good distance between them? Same with a birdhouse. Near or far? Thanks in advance!
As long as you place the birdbath near enough to a tree so that the birds can fly into if a preditor approaches Cheryl it should be fine. Water doesn't need to be placed beside the feeder as the birds will find it and use it for bathing as well as drinking. You don't want them dropping seeds into it where they can rot. Birdhouses are best kept away from feeders and water sources in my opinion. Do let us see where you put it in your garden won't you?
I have mine in the sun garden out in the open. It gets a lot of use from various birds daily. I think wherever you decide to place the bath make sure you have easy access to it for cleaning and filling. Also, it's nice to have it placed where you can see it easily without disturbing your little birdie visitors. I wouldn't place it too close to a feeder as seeds might fly into the bath and become a problem. I hope this helps.
My three feeders are between 20 and 35 feet away from the birdbath, all are in the open. The birds use nearby bushes to open their seeds. The birdbath gets cleaned out with a hose twice a week. The birds are happy, the squirrels get a percentage of the birds take as the birds are sloppy eaters, the squirrels are happy. The woodpeckers do their own thing with the suet feeder. Jerry
Thanks everyone! Eileen... hopefully I'll have it set up this weekend. And I'll certainly be posting some photos. Supersweetmom... Funny you mention about placing it where I can view it. What might be best for the birds will leave my view obstructed. So I've been having a tug-o-war with myself over it. Place it so I can enjoy it... or place it so the birds can enjoy it! I think I have found a compromise location. Jerry... The squirrels seem to find their own food, mostly from the pecan trees. So they're not around the bird feeders too often. Besides... Sassy Marie keeps them chased off most of the time. I picked up a couple of suet feeders today. I'll be placing them as well. Shall I keep them in same vicinity as the regular feeders or put them in entirely different locales?
My suet feeder is near one of the seed feeders and does not seem to bother birds in any feeder. I can always count on the woodpeckers to be at the suet feeder. The morning doves make several pilgrimages to the ground just below the suet feeder each day to snack on the bits that fall off. Jerry
Cheryl, make sure the bird waterer/bath is in part shade. You wouldn't believe how hot that water can get in full sun here in Texas! The suet needs to be the "no-melt" kind. We have our suet feeders (two) away from the seed feeders (three) because the birds that frequent one usually don't frequent the other. With all your lovely flowers, arbors, and shrubs, you'll have more birds than Moody Gardens!
