i always know when the deer come thru. the one in front is drained. they've knocked it over a few times too. i watch this one closely. it's in the shade & it often is full of mosquito larvae.. also the doves use it for a perch & load it up with dove poo.

Building on this thread -- might be off-topic, sorry!

I have two metal bird baths on pedestals, from Virginia MetalCrafters many decades ago. The original finish inside the bowls has become flaked and is very unattractive. I would like to refinish them, but hesitate as to what to use (for birds' safety). Can I simply paint them with a metal paint after a good scrubbing? Or what would you suggest?

Thanks for any advice!

We enjoy the birdbaths too. We don't have the wonderful array of birds you are reporting Rober. I wish I had Wrens and Bluebirds and even doves. Our most frequent visitors are Robins, who get so dirty getting their worms, they really spend some time in the bath washing up. lol And they do line up and fight over position. I had Cardinals in the beginning of the season. I saw a pair of Blue Jays yesterday and I don't often see them in it. Every once in awhile I see doves, but they don't stick around long.

I didn't really care for the birdbaths that are on pedestals. Instead I turned over a large ceramic pot and put a square ceramic saucer on the top of that and that is always busy. It's also shallow and has a flat lip so I hope the bees make use of that. I'm not in a position to view that up close so I'm not sure. Plus I bought two large deep plastic plant saucers that I use on the ground and elevated on a rock and the Robins love the deep saucers. I put the ceramic away for the winter but the plastic can stay out year round.

Sorry Roxanna, I am not handy enough to suggest how to refinish your metal birdbaths. [g]

Did you Google it? Doesn't sound too complicated.

• Remove any rust and clean thoroughly
• Spray with a rustproof primer
• Spray with 1-2 coats of a non-toxic paint suitable for outdoor use on metals (ie., Rustoleum)
• For extra bird safety, finish with a clear sealant.

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=refinish+metal+bird+bath&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

gardengal ~ oh, thank you! That is just what I need to know. Will do both before snow flies! =)

my west fence line is bordered with ditch lilies, rudbeckia, russian sage, comfrey, shasta daisies, & a few others so the critters have a lot of cover. robins, bluebirds, mockingbirds, jays, wrens, cardinals, doves, & the cursed house sparrows, starlings are all regulars. then i get the transient rose breasted grossbeaks brown thrashers, hummingbirds, meadow larks, & orioles. for 2 winters straight i had a lone mountain bluebird. he must have been lost. he either found his way home or died. robins are the most frequent users of the baths.. i have an average of a dozen robins on worm patrol daily. one year at my last house i had a mockingbird that ate from my hand. he'd also sit on a street sign when i watered along the curb. when a flying insect flew when disturbed by the water he'd swoop down & nab it. my linden tree is a multi family condo. lots of nests. i have around a dozen bird houses as well. purple finches hatched 3 broods this year on top of a motion light.

I need more birdbaths! I only have one snd it gets a lot of visitors. The morning doves especially love to sit in it. I need to add another for the back garden and I have also been contrmplating a bubbler. Does anyone have any recs on bubblers?

Rober, even with your area that offers cover, are you located in an area where there are a lot of birds? Near a woods? On one of the migration paths? [g] You get a LOT of variety of birds! Are you in the country? Meadow Larks are usually near meadows, aren’t they?

You must spend a lot of time befriending your birds to get a mockingbird to eat from your hand. LoL

Do you have a large property?

I have a 1/4 acre in a semi urban neighborhood. And I don’t have one bird house. I have two in the closet that I never put up. And we used to get hawks killing the birds, but I haven’t seen one in awhile.

I have seen a lot of the birds you mention, including orioles, hummingbirds, once in awhile and a Carolina wren a couple of times. The robins, jays mockingbirds, cardinals, sparrows and starlings are the most present. I did see two doves sitting in the bird bath today actually. We get a lot of chickadees, and finches including the gold finch at times. And the little grey bird in the winter with the white bottom, I forget their name. Definitely haven’t seen one Grosbeak, brown thrasher, bluebird or a meadow lark.

Sounds like they love your property!!

Markay, I have three baths, but sometimes I think of adding more. I'd love something that was heated for the winter. And a bubbler is nice too. I bet they have some that are solar powered. You might try a local nursery that has a good birding section. We have one about 40m away and I guess I'd go there if I was looking.

PM

what is the name of that nursery?

Drumlin Farm i lincoln is an Audubon Center.

Marie - Russell's in Sudbury has a good selection of everything bird related in their huge gift shop. But, sure, an Audubon Center, even better I imagine. Do they have a gift shop there @ Drumlin Farms? I haven't been in decades.

Prairiemoon…you are thinking of juncos. i enjoyed this thread too. i have 3 bird baths, and get lots of birds, but haven’t seen a mockingbird in a long time. My favorite summer visitors are catbirds.

Yes, Barrheadlass...Juncos! Thank you! the Juncos are very cute and chase each other around. I like the catbirds too, they have a distinct cry. I've seen more of them in the early spring but they're not here now. Sometimes I hear bird calls that I don't recognize at all, for a day or two and I wonder who that is....lol.. but then they're gone. It's fun to pay attention to the birds.

It's funny, they depend on the bird baths and if we are late refilling them, sometimes they all sit around in the branches of the trees making a racket...lol.

PM, you should check out the Merlin app, from the Cornell Ornithology lab. Lets you record those sounds and tells you (in real time) what the bird is. It’s my favorite app.

Wow....I didn't realize they have that. I don't actually have a smart phone. But my husband does, I'll have to try to get that. I suppose it's at the Apple Ap store. Thank you! That sounds like fun.

Rober had mentioned he had a few bird houses, and I was reminded that once years ago we had an unusual bird house.....

Our son decided to put this milk crate up in the tree. He was young and I don't remember if he was trying to use it as a basketball hoop? [g] We left it there empty for awhile and one day I was walking past and there was a dove nesting in it. We all really got a kick out of that...lol.

i'm on 1/3 acre in a suburban setting. i do have large patches of green space around me . i'm also close to a creek & 2 miles from the Meramec river & 3 miles west of the Mississippi so i border on some migration paths. geese & ducks fly over on a regular basis. if i happen to be out & looking up at the right time & i get lucky i can catch sight of migrating pelicans. geese fly in military like formations but pelicans ride thermals. as a mob they swirl in large sweeping circles in their direction of travel. the orioles, grosbeaks, & meadowlarks are just passing thru & are only around for a few days. the mockingbird was injured. i tempted him closer & closer with mealworms. he finally ate from my palm but only at arms length & was always cautious.

i iused to see most of these birds & others when i was a boy in st louis city. sadly those days are over. i also saw a lot more fireflies back then too. in the 90s i was a carpenter boss on a bridge near the mo. river flyway & kept a log of the birds that i saw. over 150 different birds including whooping cranes. this is where i first got a look at migrating pelicans. you just have to keep your eyes & ears open & be observant. i've hunted, fished, gardened, dabbled at farming, floated, kept bees, trimmed trees...so i've spent a lot of time outdoors so have had a lot more opportunities to observe things. i also keep a pair of binoculars handy.

Aha! I had a feeling you were in a special area. Now I am really jealous...lol! Being on a migration path has to be perfect for a bird lover. I can't believe you see Pelican formations! I've only seen Pelicans twice, once in the Keys and once visiting family in Florida along the coast near Venice. I really enjoyed them. You definitely have spent a lot of time out in nature. Way more than the average person.

I live in suburbia outside Boston and nowhere nearby that is a good location for birds. I'm surprised I get as many as I do. And my time outdoors has either been at the beach or gardening my small property for the last 30+ years. It's great that you enjoy birds so much because you certainly have had lots of opportunities. Thanks for sharing.