Hi all,
This is the second bird bath that has succumbed to frost damage and am p*ssed off.
The first one was coated in a concrete treatment- like resin which is made to treat concrete ponds. Failed.
The second one was coated in brick paint used to seal render walls. Paint failed.
Before I take a mortgage out in order to buy a third one, will car underseal or bitumastic paint be any good? The baths I have been buying ain't cheap. :BangHead:
I just use a large earthenware dish, the ones that big plant pots sit on. That is on a green plastic flower bucket with the base neatly cut out and inverted. Under that I have a small paraffin heater (the ones that were used in the lamps on roadworks sites in the 50s-60s)
I used to leave the lamp on all night, but nowadays I fill the empty dish with water then light the lamp so the water stays flexible when I get up to make our morning cuppa..
Easy Peasy. :icon_thumleft: Cheers, Tony
I take it you want something more ornamental than an upturned bucket. If you still have the old one repair it and then mosaic it with something ornate and grout with flexible grouting.
I have a stone bird bath which I bought in Nineteen Ninety One. no numbers on my puter. The bird bath is made out of bradstone and has not succumbed to the Scottish Frost/ice/snow. The best bird bath though is a frying pan. easy to empty and replace the water and keep clean.
:happy7: :happy7:
Old one bought years ago by hubby and sister-in-law succombed last week to the frost
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_2102.jpg)
Gravel tray in situ now, with plenty of dipped beaks by the look of the seeds in there!
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_2101.jpg)
A quick tap in the morning takes off any ice without breaking the container!
It'll only be me and hubby looking at it no so points for beauty and at the end of the day I don't think the birds will be giving it any consideration apart from their daily drink or bath :happy7:
Ninny
I have a resin birdbath that my son bought me for Christmas a couple of years ago. I have been very pleased with it and it is sturdier than I thought it would be as I often see a pheasant jumping up on it to have a drink. I have some large stones in mine so it is not too deep for the little birds. This also gives it a bit more weight. It hasn't ever blown over but does have ground pegs which were supplied with it. I think it looks good too, having the appearance of being metal but without going rusty.
I have a metal birdbath but that freezes far too easily. I've used an upturned and part buried old black dustbin lid with stones in it but that tended to collect algae. I also noticed that the birds have no idea and poo in their bathing and drinking water so I don't bother any more unless we're having a very dry period. There's a pond in the garden not far away from the feeders and if that freezes there's a stream in the paddock next door.
Times move on............
This is our second oak leaf bird bath - the first survived the winter frost but not dearest hubby chasing a cat out of our garden and going knee first into it! All credit to our local garden centre that agreed to sell us just the top bath as the plinth had survived. :D
Herding cats! Why bother. A spud gun works better, you would be lucky to hit a barn door with one but the clack and the missile flying past is a good deterent. Plus you would still have a bird bath.
Ouch...I bet that hurt fair bit..is the knee ok?
I like you new birdbath.. particularly because of the greenman.
Lets hope he brings a bit more luck to this bath :icon_thumleft:
Ace he wasn't herding cats just chasing the *ugger out of our garden - next door has a cat flap for her one and all and sundry seem to want to party in there using our flower beds as a pit stop!
Goodlife, his knee is fine, thank you, he probably did one of those footballing ballerina moves after the collision but nobody was there to witness it.
I know the greenman is a pagan symbol but I have always liked him to watch over our garden.
Ninnyscrops
QuoteI know the greenman is a pagan symbol but I have always liked him to watch over our garden.
There is nothing wrong having extra little help...it doesn't hurt...;D
I've got one too..he is near our back gate and every time I go by...I wink back at him. :icon_cheers: :drunken_smilie: