Bird Bath

[Steve Carlton]

Requesting an underwater cam. Thank you.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by dad911

Blue Heron found my ponds. I could never keep fish in it again.

I suggest something to keep the birds out.

We had a Blue Heron have an expensive meal at our pond. By federal law it is illegal to harass them and chase them off. Fortunately our dogs don't know the law and weer will to risk barking and chasing it off. Astonishing to see a bird that big, fly straight up.



This is our Koi pond. You can see the posts, that are copper grounding rods. I drilled a horizontal hole near the top of each post. My wife strung fishing line in a star pattern crisscrossing the pond. The line is really hard to see in this photo, but it is strung from post to post and across the pond. She sometimes ties on a old CD as something shiny to catch the birds attention as well.
That is supposed to be what the Japanese do to prevent cranes from eating the Koi. The birds see the fishing line, and they are worried about getting caught up in the line. At least that is what we heard.

We put up the line 5 or 6 years ago. Since then, no Blue Herons or any fish predation. Our house is right on a flight line between two large lakes for many migratory birds.

[stevej37]

^^^ Nice looking pond!
I would try something like that...except the turtles would be gone in a matter of minutes.
If they can't climb something, they get on the back of another turtle to do it.

[Steve Carlton]

Where's the underwater cam feed?

[masraum]

When you point a satellite dish straight up instead of at a satellite [assuming you aren't on the equator] (usually locked in place like that for inclement weather), it's often called "bird bath" for reasons that are probably obvious.



I used to work at a place that had a 14m dish and a bunch of smaller dishes, and when the Gulf threw weather our way, the guys would "bird bath" (used as a verb) the dishes.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

Where's the underwater cam feed?

I did the next best thing...re-aimed the camera down to see the bottom better.
During the evening, they are still looking for food on the bottom.

[Tobra]

You can make a little acrylic box, or even get a commercially made one, to put a camera or phone in.

Even put it inside a jar

[stevej37]

The cam is almost out of range of the router/modem where it is now.
When it's windy...it sometimes won't connect at all.

I have my doubts that it would connect underwater.
Plus..it's corded.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stevej37

The cam is almost out of range of the router/modem where it is now.
When it's windy...it sometimes won't connect at all.

I have my doubts that it would connect underwater.
Plus..it's corded.

Maybe some of the turtles are Japanese
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2016/08/denki-buro-electric-baths-of-japan.html?m=1

Kind of wish I'd tried one of these when I was there. Hot bath (natural geothermal no less) yes, but electrified, no.

[Steve Carlton]

Originally Posted by stevej37

The cam is almost out of range of the router/modem where it is now.
When it's windy...it sometimes won't connect at all.

I have my doubts that it would connect underwater.
Plus..it's corded.

I'm looking for this. Thank you.

[GH85Carrera]

My wife has an actual bird bath in one of the garden areas in the front yard. I keep it sprinkled with mosquito killing tablets and those are supposedly safe for the birds. It still gets nasty looking with alga, but birds seem to like it. The goofy thing is someone in the neighborhood either puts out bread for the birds, and the crows "cache" their bread in the freaking water. Crows will store food for later, and at least one of them thinks the birdbath is a great place. Often my wife goes out and there are several lumps of soggy bread in there.

Lots of birds, lizards, squirrels, and other critters get a drink from our Koi pond. There are times an entire flock of birds swarm into the pond to bath and drink.

[Scott Douglas]

Our bird bath is frequently crowded.

[stevej37]

[QUOTE=Steve Carlton;11735769]I'm looking for this. Thank you.



"Meh....we like our privacy"

[Steve Carlton]

Lol

[gacook]

Originally Posted by masraum

Taking a bath

Yup.

We have birds land on the waterfall portion of our pond all the time--typically 3-4 of them on it at a time (I did put in a bird bath on the other side of the house).

Couple of mornings, had a monstrous-sized hawk sitting on it, taking a bath. He had the place all to himself.

[GH85Carrera]

We have a nesting pair of Mississippi Kites that live in our neighborhood. Very pretty grey birds. Not real big, but bigger than a crow.

They visit the pond occasion, but they are very wary and any movement from inside the house and they are gone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_kite

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Our bird bath is frequently crowded.

Yep, when we used to have one that we kept water in, it was usually frequently visited. I also had a bird feeder nearby.

One summer day, my bird bath had at least 20-30 bees on and buzzing around it which was interesting. I am sure they were drinking more than bathing.

Originally Posted by stevej37

"Meh....we like our privacy"

LOL!

Originally Posted by gacook

Yup.

We have birds land on the waterfall portion of our pond all the time--typically 3-4 of them on it at a time (I did put in a bird bath on the other side of the house).

Couple of mornings, had a monstrous-sized hawk sitting on it, taking a bath. He had the place all to himself.

What's interesting is that if there's a lack of water, but there is dusty sand around, they'll go through the same motions in the sand.

Not my pics


and often when you see this, they end up creating little depressions in the sand/dust from all of the bathing.

[Steve Carlton]

The sand bathers must be "Contraries."

[Scott Douglas]

Originally Posted by masraum

Yep, when we used to have one that we kept water in, it was usually frequently visited. I also had a bird feeder nearby.

One summer day, my bird bath had at least 20-30 bees on and buzzing around it which was interesting. I am sure they were drinking more than bathing.

LOL!


What's interesting is that if there's a lack of water, but there is dusty sand around, they'll go through the same motions in the sand.

Not my pics


and often when you see this, they end up creating little depressions in the sand/dust from all of the bathing.

We have a planter just in front of the bird bath as you see it in my photo.
It's under going a revival of sorts as all the plants were removed so new could be planted/started. When the bird bath got low on water I noticed there were divots in the dirt. Initially I thought cats were doing their thing and trying to cover the evidence, but then I saw a bird taking a dust bath. I watered the dirt down and filled the bird bath up and no more divots. I guess they don't like taking mud baths.

[stevej37]

I wonder if birds are so troubled by lice and other bugs that they go nuts in water or dirt trying to rid them.

I don't like the chance that they are bringing bad stuff to the pond.