Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,357
|
Post by Tiny on Dec 15, 2020 12:08:41 GMT -5
I'm currently using a plastic "dog water bowl" as a bird bath. The birds (and squirrels and rabbits and who knows what else) like the dog bowl concept for delivery of drinking or bathing water. Unfortunately, it is now winter and the bowl of water is freezing over night and not always unfreezing during the day.
I'd like to be able to water the birds without having to tend to the bowl during the day.
Anyone using a non-fountain solar heated bird bath? Anyone have any suggestions for a DIY way to make a "solar" heated birdbath? Any suggestions/ideas/recommendations for keeping the neighborhood birds "watered" during the long cold winter?
My neighbor feeds the bird. I house (have lots of occupied bird houses) and water them.
|
|
Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,357
|
Post by Tiny on Dec 15, 2020 12:29:59 GMT -5
Hope you weren't blinded by that flash of light over my head! I didn't think of checking farm supplies! There's a Farm and Fleet out on the distant edge of suburbia that I have visited. I will look there online!
|
|
grumpyhermit
Well-Known Member
Joined: Jul 12, 2012 12:04:00 GMT -5
Posts: 1,432
|
Post by grumpyhermit on Dec 15, 2020 16:33:29 GMT -5
No idea about DIY solar, but they do have electric heated pet bowls. You would need to have an outdoor outlet to plug it in though.
|
|
toomuchreality
Senior Associate
Joined: Sept 3, 2011 10:28:25 GMT -5
Posts: 15,355
Favorite Drink: Sometimes I drink water... just to surprise my liver!
|
Post by toomuchreality on Dec 16, 2020 2:09:40 GMT -5
I was going to suggest a heated pet dish too.
Sometimes if you ask, or explain what you're looking for and why, you can get some great suggestions.
Last time I was at Home Depot, I got suggestions from the person who worked there, as well as a bunch from another customer, who I saw at various times throughout the store.
Good luck! I hope you find something.
I have a beautiful birdhouse (commissioned by a friend to have made by a carpenter), with tiny battery operated LED Christmas lights on it. I love it!
|
|
Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,357
|
Post by Tiny on Dec 16, 2020 12:03:38 GMT -5
I don't have an outside outlet so I can't do an electric heated bowl.
|
|
Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,357
|
Post by Tiny on Dec 16, 2020 12:08:40 GMT -5
Hope you weren't blinded by that flash of light over my head! I didn't think of checking farm supplies! There's a Farm and Fleet out on the distant edge of suburbia that I have visited. I will look there online! If you have a plug nearby, there's an easy way to make a home made outside water dish heater with a lightbulb in a short cookie tin. You then put the water dish on top of it. I've seen some DIY solar set ups that do something like this - where the container with the water is is black (heats up in the sun) that's set into the top of a box with a "glass" front which lets sun into the box the inside of which is also painted black (and heats up). I've got some old home made solar oven bits and pieces - from when I was experimenting with different styles/sizes. I may just re-use what i can to create the "heater under the water dish". Just have to be careful that I don't create a Hot Tub for the birds.
|
|
toomuchreality
Senior Associate
Joined: Sept 3, 2011 10:28:25 GMT -5
Posts: 15,355
Favorite Drink: Sometimes I drink water... just to surprise my liver!
|
Post by toomuchreality on Dec 16, 2020 17:28:26 GMT -5
I was going to suggest a heated pet dish too. Sometimes if you ask, or explain what you're looking for and why, you can get some great suggestions. Last time I was at Home Depot, I got suggestions from the person who worked there, as well as a bunch from another customer, who I saw at various times throughout the store. Good luck! I hope you find something. I have a beautiful birdhouse (commissioned by a friend to have made by a carpenter), with tiny battery operated LED Christmas lights on it. I love it! Christmas lights on the birdhouse ! I put a string around the top of the chicken yard fencing. Awesome! That you put lights around the top of your chicken yard fencing. I like all Christmas lights. But I especially like them, when they are in unexpected places.
|
|
toomuchreality
Senior Associate
Joined: Sept 3, 2011 10:28:25 GMT -5
Posts: 15,355
Favorite Drink: Sometimes I drink water... just to surprise my liver!
|
Post by toomuchreality on Dec 16, 2020 17:30:41 GMT -5
If you have a plug nearby, there's an easy way to make a home made outside water dish heater with a lightbulb in a short cookie tin. You then put the water dish on top of it. I've seen some DIY solar set ups that do something like this - where the container with the water is is black (heats up in the sun) that's set into the top of a box with a "glass" front which lets sun into the box the inside of which is also painted black (and heats up). I've got some old home made solar oven bits and pieces - from when I was experimenting with different styles/sizes. I may just re-use what i can to create the "heater under the water dish". Just have to be careful that I don't create a Hot Tub for the birds. I think it's cool that you care enough to do this. ❤👍🏻❤
|
|
toomuchreality
Senior Associate
Joined: Sept 3, 2011 10:28:25 GMT -5
Posts: 15,355
Favorite Drink: Sometimes I drink water... just to surprise my liver!
|
Post by toomuchreality on Jan 17, 2021 2:10:35 GMT -5
@tiny What did you end up doing? Anything? Are you happy with it?
|
|
Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,357
|
Post by Tiny on Jan 18, 2021 20:41:35 GMT -5
@tiny What did you end up doing? Anything? Are you happy with it? I am planning on buying a 4 quart black rubber feed pan from the Farm and Fleet. I might go with the smaller 2 quart size. I haven't done it yet because I haven't had a chance to get to the store to buy it. I should just mail order it, but I'm getting what I feel are outrageous prices for the bowls on line/with shipping. I think the black rubber bowl will do the trick - I can easily out any frozen block of water and refill with fresh water. The black rubber should "warm up" in the sun as well. We're having a mild winter so far. Not much snow and temps in the mid 30's during the day. So, my dog bowl bird bath has been doing the job without too much work/trouble. There's a fox traveling thru my (and my neighbor's yards). The fox might have checked out the water bowl (the snow had already melted around it so no tracks there) I've spotted it's tracks (little foxy feets!!!! ) crossing the grassy parts of my yard and jumping the fences between yards) in the little bit of snow we have gotten . I think it's been checking out the neighborhood - and my neighbor's deck as a nice place to den and raise little fox babies . OK. I might be projecting that on the fox. I think it's cool that we've got a fox. It's mating season so I'm sure the fox(es) are more 'visible' as they are out looking for love.
|
|
kadee79
Senior Associate
S.W. Ga., zone 8b, out in the boonies!
Joined: Mar 30, 2011 15:12:55 GMT -5
Posts: 10,794
|
Post by kadee79 on Jan 18, 2021 20:48:17 GMT -5
There are solar bird bath heaters available...just google them. Prices range from pretty cheap to EXPENSIVE!
|
|
toomuchreality
Senior Associate
Joined: Sept 3, 2011 10:28:25 GMT -5
Posts: 15,355
Favorite Drink: Sometimes I drink water... just to surprise my liver!
|
Post by toomuchreality on Jan 18, 2021 21:14:13 GMT -5
@tiny What did you end up doing? Anything? Are you happy with it? I am planning on buying a 4 quart black rubber feed pan from the Farm and Fleet. I might go with the smaller 2 quart size. I haven't done it yet because I haven't had a chance to get to the store to buy it. I should just mail order it, but I'm getting what I feel are outrageous prices for the bowls on line/with shipping. I think the black rubber bowl will do the trick - I can easily out any frozen block of water and refill with fresh water. The black rubber should "warm up" in the sun as well. We're having a mild winter so far. Not much snow and temps in the mid 30's during the day. So, my dog bowl bird bath has been doing the job without too much work/trouble. There's a fox traveling thru my (and my neighbor's yards). The fox might have checked out the water bowl (the snow had already melted around it so no tracks there) I've spotted it's tracks (little foxy feets!!!! ) crossing the grassy parts of my yard and jumping the fences between yards) in the little bit of snow we have gotten . I think it's been checking out the neighborhood - and my neighbor's deck as a nice place to den and raise little fox babies . OK. I might be projecting that on the fox. I think it's cool that we've got a fox. It's mating season so I'm sure the fox(es) are more 'visible' as they are out looking for love. Nice! I hope you have more sightings of your new animal friends and that they don't cause you any grief!
|
|