Where to place a bird bath?

Depends on a lot of stuff - birds like a bit of shrubbery near their bath as the are vunerable to predators when wet - is it near a small tree or bush that they can hide in? Also some are fussy about water depth - if it is a deep bath you can always place a flat rock or two in it foa a shallow area. Or it may just be that it has been the wrong weather for bathing.Or - LOL - is Mr.Pussycat watching closely as they are near the bath? Give it a bit more time and see what happens...

We have been lucky to have a well used bird bath....Our bird bath is two or three feet out from the fence, near to the bird table and not far from a big field hedge for cover. The birds seem to use it daily, especially starlings who share the bath 4 or 5 of them together! Our bird bath is a shallowish stone-effect resin one, about three feet tall. We are lucky that there are few cats about mind you.... Good luck!

hi Jac, i don't think it is the weather - unless ofcourse the water is frozen, because it does'nt seem to bother the birds in my garden, they love to have a little splash around what ever the weather - i have even seen them doing it in the rain! but maybe Grammazoo has hit on something with the location! it did take a month or so for the birds to start using mine and it is in a sheltered location, with a tree and a couple of bushes and also the feeding table are all in the same location.

hi Jac, i don't think it is the weather - unless ofcourse the water is frozen, because it does'nt seem to bother the birds in my garden, they love to have a little splash around what ever the weather - i have even seen them doing it in the rain! but maybe Grammazoo has hit on something with the location! it did take a month or so for the birds to start using mine and it is in a sheltered location, with a tree and a couple of bushes and also the feeding table are all in the same location.

I don't have a bird bath but I do have a fairly big, formal pond. It has planting baskets round the edges (at various depths) to allow me to grow marginals and bog plants. I've noticed the birds like to perch on the edge of baskets about an inch or two above the water surface for bathing so it would appear they don't want any great depth of water.
There is also a large mahonia japoncia right beside the pond to provde shelter and a six foot fence to perch on, well out of reach of any cats.
My neighbour, on the other side of the fence, feeds the birds so the two facilites don't have to be beside each other, just reasonably close I think

Thanks 4 all the help on this Every1 think il move it a little colser2the Apple tree where i feed them on feeders& see what happens? il keep you posted &take pics (FINGERS CROSSED) of the Bathers:D

I read once that birds don't see the water in a white bird bath. It was suggested that marbles, or rocks should be placed in the bird bath. Birds like my gray and cream colored bird baths, which I put right in my garden.

My birdbath is white and the blackbirds do use it. Only problem is they splash about so much that they splash all the water out and I have to refill it! Mrs Pussycat (AKA Birtie) also drinks from it, but the birds don't seem to mind - I think they realise she's a pretty inept hunter!!

yep sorry Talljim i agree with Sid, mine is also white, although it does have a picture of a bird inside the water maybe this is why they love it sooo much!

Be patient..When I got a new birdbath, they ignored it for several weeks..Then they started to come and soon they were all enjoying it, including a lovely Woodpecker..

Thats so cool having a woodpecker come2 the bird bath Shirleyh :)

Interesting about birds not seeing water in a white bird bath.. I bought a white one today at a car boot sale for a few cents....I will wait and see if the birds see it..if you see what I mean.