A shallow plastic bowl in the shade would be good and, if you can, change the water a couple of times or put ice cubes in it to keep it relatively cool. Metal or terra cotta bowls will get too hot, even in the shade. I've put the Cobra mister out for the birds to fly through. Butterflies, bees and wasps like the mister too and settle on a bench at the edge of its range. We have a creek not far away but in this heat--it's too far!

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

Answers

I dug up the mini cypress trees that blocked the view to the watergarden there by the dining room...now I can sit in the dining room and watch the morning doves, the blue birds, and an array of critters come up for drinks..the kitties all have a "perch" to watch when the "chippies" come out!

yep..even shuttered watching a snake drink!

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

The birds love our fishpond, too. The real big black bird likes to sit on the fountain stem and drink the water as it comes out. But he splashes too much and so we leave it off, mostly. Me thinks we need to change the water out.

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

Okay, okay, you guys, a fountain was on the want list for this year--maybe if I see a good sale price or next year we can get one. Don't want to dig for a pond!

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

Bump--the birds will need help again today.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

I like the idea of a mister. Maybe I could have one installed in my office.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

You don't have to dig for a pond.

Buy one of the plastic molded ones at Home Depot or somewhere, put it on a nice level area with no rocks to punch thru the bottom, then pile dirt up around it. You can use the wood frame idea below as well as rocks to give it some stabiliity and help control run off.

Another method is to use the liner that is also sold at such stores. Build a wood frame [or pile smooth stone] in the general shape you want, lay the liner over it and fill it up with water. Set potted plants around it to hide the frame. Make sure the frame is strong enough to hold the water, though.

These can be anywhere from one to three feet deep. Ours is two feet deep, a plastic molded thing, called 'The Lagoon.' something like 300 gallons of water, I think. Been a while since I last saw the label.

They make nice small ones for patios, about 30 to 50 gallons. Little kidney shaped ones they are. LOL By two, and never be without a kidney pair again!

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

OK, I freshened up the bird bath and set up a second one. I use the terracotta bottoms to large flower pots and set them on the ground. A lot cheaper than the concrete bird baths available.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

Now, Barefoot, you've detailed a couple of methods which involve WORK. I'd have to dig the dirt into place around the pool, etc., etc. The back is screwed and won't let me do that. A fountain is delivered by Lowe's, the guy sets it up (upon receipt of a nice tip), bingo!

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

I suppose you could just have that toilet in the front yard hooked up. LOL

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Hey, what a great idea! Ooo, I can see it now--a stream of water shooting up from the bowl. Hard for the birdies to drink from, though.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

I'm picturing the birds sitting around the rim of the bowl drinking flushies...

Or, sitting on the top of the toilet getting tanked...

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Can you imagine the pleasure of the kitty or doggy that poises itself over the rim for an illicit drink and finds something tastier than poopies in the bowl?

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

A stream shooting up? You want to turn the toilet into a bidet?

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Okay. Okay. Time for my bird bath tale. As requested, I set up my bird bath on the east side of the house near the breakfast nook feeder. It was early afternoon. Later that evening, I went out to check the level. The water was green! Now, this water was only several hours old. I dumped it. Put fresh water in and went to bed. The next morning, the water was bright pink! I dumped it, and put in fresh water. Huh? This was a new one for me. Fortunately the mystery was soon solved.

When I got back from the fair around noon today, I caught two of the neighborhood 'tweens pouring some type of dye into it. They obviously hadn't grown up watching Animal Planet! I tried to impress upon them that birds didn't need to drink dye, but the blue jay dropping scat overhead and narrowly missing the head of one made a larger impression. I don't think they'll be back.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Thing is, if I make a fountain out of it I won't be able to do what I keep threatening. (Taking the pot of begonias out of the bowl and sitting on the seat with an open newspaper, just as folks are coming home from work at 5:30!) Did I tell you it's lit up at night?

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

i suppose that would be better than kneeling in front of it...

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Oh--reminds me--did you see that post, ages ago, where I talked about Sweetie "driving the porcelain bus" when he was in the Navy?

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001