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| From In the Garden |
Keeping your birdbaths free of ice in the winter time is a very big concern. As someone who loves to feed the birds I realize they must also drink so I had to figure out what do to with all my birdbaths and small water features. I think I have it all figured out and thought I'd share some tips-today after 20 degree temperatures and six inches plus of snow.
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| From In the Garden |
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| From In the Garden |
Next we'll move to my small bathtub pond. I have goldfish in this pond year round so I find it important to not only keep a bit of the surface free of ice for the birds, but also for the fish so they can get oxygen. My little pond holds about 35 gallons of water and is not more than 15" deep. A birdbath heater would simply not work. Instead I purchased a stock tank heater from Rural King (love this store!). It works wonderfully as you can see. There is not one speck of ice in this pond. I only use the stock tank heater when it looks as though the entire pond will freeze over (as in arctic blasts). Usually the running pump keeps an area in the pond free of ice but when temperatures below 20 degrees are sustained and winds are brisk, the bathtub will need extra help. In the opening picture the bathtub pond needs no extra help because the 6" of snow are serving as an insulator and the pump is keeping an area free for the fish. I think the stock tank heater would work for larger ponds too. Experimenting is the best way to find out what works best in your particular water feature. Birds of all sorts flock to this pond to drink as do the pesky squirrels and chipmunks. I have one particular mockingbird that loves to sit in the pot (not pictured) and drink from the pond. It will stay there a long time almost like it is savoring the water. It's such an enjoyable thing to watch birds in the winter.
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| From In the Garden |
And one last picture. I don't leave all of my birdbaths/water features up to operate during the winters. This is a cement bird bath out front. I covered it with plastic left over from a mattress. If you ever buy something very large like a mattress-save the cardboard and plastic for use in the garden. They work great in a number of ways. Plastic can be used like a tarp to haul things like leaves, and also to cover birdbaths. Cardboard can be used as a mulch under leaves. I sure hope no one looks under my mulch-no telling what they might find there.
Any tips for keeping water from freezing in the winter?
in the garden....
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In the Garden
That tip must surely be helpful for peeps there... Awesome idea... I salute your concern for them.... And to top it all it is a very pleasing & a moment of pride when u see those birds at your place.... I would feel so because it would be new for me.... As I don't have any here.... & have not tasted that bit of joy....
ReplyDeleteAsh....
(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)
Aren't you most loving towards our friends and foes of nature. Great tips here...wonder what is under that mulch? hahaha
ReplyDeleteThanks for the ideas Tina. I felt so bad a few weeks ago during our deep freeze watching the birds try and get a drink from the bird bath. The water going into the pond from the red pump does not freeze, so I encouraged the birds to drink there. Not sure if they listened though! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tips for still water, Tina! I know your birds and cats appreciate the efforts.
ReplyDeleteStay warm!
Cameron
PS snow and 16 degrees this morning though the forecast was for 10 degrees overnight. The sun is already shining.
Ha! I don't bother trying up here! -15 over the weekend.
ReplyDeleteAshKuku, Good morning! The birds are so nice to watch indeed.
ReplyDeleteDarla, Promise you won't peek if you ever come to visit okay? lol
Linda, Those poor birds do suffer but I suspect they listened to you and drank when you were not looking:)
Cameron, It is the exact same temperature here too! That is the concern with all the snow and melting water from the daytime. Slick out there and I have to go out. Scary too!
Dawn, It is 16 here so I promise you it would work!
Tina,
ReplyDeleteVery helpful tips. We just bought an indoor fountain water bowl for our cat as he was getting sick from not drinking enough water. Our pond usually provides the birds water most of the frozen days here.
I have always been told that the birds don't need extra water when there is snow, so this winter I haven't provided much water.
ReplyDeleteBut when we have 'naked frost', when it freezes by day, I try to provided some water in a more or less covered area where the water doesn't freeze too soon.
A lot of snow (and more to come this week they say) and low temperatures, mostly days down to teen degrees, makes it hard to keep open water for the birds.
ReplyDeleteMmm, good point, I only have a couple of small water dishes but I should try and figure something out to keep some water available. 14 degrees when I woke this morning, hopefully we are on our way to Spring soon-
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, Tina! I'm glad to hear, too, I'm not the only one who saves big pieces of cardboard and those big plastic bags. My kids think I'm a hoarder, but as I tell them, you never know when they will come in handy.
ReplyDeleteI hope, too, that no one digs down into some of my big pots--I put in lightweight filler in the bottom so I don't have to use so much soil. Some of them probably have a few beer cans underneath the posies:)
The arctic cold was hard on the birds and critters and the birdbaths here were visited frequently. Even neighbors cats have found them. Hoping they weren't able to catch the birds! I found a heater that I'll use for the stock tank at the Farm Supply store...gail ps We used a giant piece of cardboard to protect the top of Mr I's car from the peahen!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, birds (at least Michigan birds, LOL!) eat snow for water if they can't find actual water. Water is still important for bathing (even int he cold) and REALLY important when it's frozen without snow (as it is here). I've tried various corded birdbath heaters and they break soon. My mom has a lightbulb on a cord, which she runs up the feeder stand and suspends near the top, right under the disk itself. She empties the water every evening and turns of the lightbulb, which is extra work, but in climates where it normally doesn't freeze may be an alternative. In fact, I'm going to try it myself!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, those are good ideas. When we don't have snow cover here, I try to keep some water source for the birds.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
It usually does not freeze here so we leave the birdbaths full year round. But this year, we have had so much freezing night temps that the cement bath has cracked. I must get a new one in the spring. Sigh.... Our creek is full of water now so no issue with lack of water for the critters. Although, I think they prefer the fresh stuff we give them...
ReplyDeleteVery clever Tina, I don't do anything for the birds to drink, guess I should.
ReplyDeleteTina it looks like you have the fountain shut off. If you leave it running I wonder if that would be enough to keep it from freezing.
ReplyDeleteIf not I guess you have it covered anyway. I am sure all the users thank you very much.
I have been watching all the snow related stuff in the south on tv and I feel for you folks as most do not know how to deal with it like we do and that includes the towns and city people that do not even have the best equipment to deal with it. Takes the word scary to a higher level.
Oh darn it, I keep forgetting to tell Anonymous....Ditto!!!!
ReplyDeleteI really should do something for the birdbath! It just freezes over - the birds have resorted to eating snow. I guess that works as long as it's white...!
ReplyDeleteTina, you are speaking my language here! I'm having a hey-day with my birds right now. I have several birdbaths made of concrete, and they are frozen over. They look nice in the winter but can be used only as a skating pond for our aviary friends. My only 'liquid' water source is the heated birdbath we purchased several years ago. It attaches to our deck and has a long cord that you can plug in to any outdoor electrical cord. In the summer, I just exchange the water insert for a non-heated one. It's very simple to use and all I have to do is keep the bath full of water. TONS of birds come by on a daily basis...in fact, it's probably one of very few in my immediate neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll participate in my garden blogger sustainable living giveaway in recognition of earth day. I am working on getting several garden products for this, so keep an eye out;-)
Great tips Tina altho down here we don't have to worry about that problem. But this yr. it has been a different story. And with so much rain there has been plenty of water sources for our feathered friends.
ReplyDeleteBeing in town I don't have critters except an occasional snake, armadillo & turtle. I would like to be where I could see other kinds too.
Luckily our winters are not very long - which is just as well as my high tech solution is to wander down the garden at intervals carrying a kettle of hot water to fill up the water bowl.
ReplyDeleteTina what great tips. I will have to give that a try. i don't have nearly as many water features as you. But i should!
ReplyDeleteWhat great information. I am fascinated about gardening and other different practices in cold winter climates.
ReplyDeleteWe had a heated birdbath when we lived in PA, as we had so much ice over snow the winters that we were up there. The birds loved it.
ReplyDeleteWhoa! The look of it makes me shiver. A sheet of ice in the feeder and here I am wrapped in a shawl when the temperature is only 20 deg. C! I have sorethroat and cold for this temp.! Wonder if I'd freeze if I come there! Love your bathtub pond and I can see that the wildlife loves it too!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips Tina! During our one and only freeze (so far) this year I was very worried our pond pump would stop working, luckily it didn't. I should invest in a bird bath heater too, usually I just hope they'll hear the waterfall and keep flying to the backyard.
ReplyDeleteHi, this is an interesting post! I notice how the birds flock to our birdbaths when we have a hard freeze. We don't have too much of a problem here, but when the birdbaths freeze we just add hot water and soon the water thaws. You certainly are a good soul to keep the water unfrozen for the wildlife.
ReplyDeleteI somehow felt pity for you people with 4 seasons, you have to make a lot of things in winter to have a semblance of normality for the warm blooded plants and animals. Those provisions certainly made things easier for them, i suppose. How lucky we are in the tropics, that the time for contemplating to do things like those, we can devote instead to gardening and blogging, haha. thanks.
ReplyDeleteA birdbath and a giant water dish for the cat! They sound like mutually exclusive functions but hopefully they all get along when it comes down to sharing something they need to survive.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina!
ReplyDeleteI just became acquainted with stock tank heaters last fall after doing some reading about deicers, etc. for my small preformed pond. After buying a heater, I decided to place greenhouse panels over the top of the pond & they have kept the water heated so well, I've hardly had to turn my heater on. I guess even tho they are unsightly, they work so I'll probably put them back on next year.
I also can't imagine not putting a heater in my bird bath after seeing just how popular a place it is during the winter months. I had no idea birds would bathe in zero degree weather before installing it.
Great tips tho ~ if I didn't already own a heater, I would run right out and buy one after reading your post. :-)
ps Our local greenhouse carries many bulb forcing containers ~ clear (like I pictured) and colored. I got mine there ~ let me know if you want more ~ I can hook you up!
I love the goldfish in the bathtub, very clever! You got a real winter there, serious freezing and everything. Winter mostly passed us by this year in Portland.
ReplyDeleteRural King - what a great name for a shop.