Thursday, May 29, 2008

My mistake... There are TWELVE!!!

In yesterday's blog post I said I had 7 or 8 birdbaths around the yard. When I filled them today, I kept count and I actually have TWELVE! If you want to take a stroll around the yard with me, I'll show them to you... It's a beautiful day here in New England!


1) This little bath hangs from a tree branch next to our deck. It used to have 3 birds, but over the years 2 have gone missing... Perhaps they flew off one winter day in search of warmer weather! This is by far the chickadees' favorite birdbath, probably because they're about the same size as the stone bird.


2) This is the fountain I picked up at Wal Mart a couple of years ago at the end of the season (gotta love clearance prices!). It sits on the deck and you can hear the water trickling from inside the family room.


3) This is a little mosaic style birdbath that I picked up last year. I seem to be drawn to birdbaths that have little birdies perched on them... For now, this one sits on a table down on the patio...


4) Now this is probably the most unattractive birdbath in the yard. It's just a huge green plastic drip saucer from an old plastic plant pot. But it's a favorite with the birds, so I can't get rid of it. For one thing, it's deep so the robins love it. It's also at ground level which means it provides water for the possums and skunks that occasionally visit our yard at night... (they get thirsty, too!)...


5) This is just a little two-tiered gazing ball birdbath. The chipmunks like to drink from it.


6) Shhhhh.... This little cherub birdbath hangs from a hook on our front fence, right next to Mr. & Mrs. Wren's house... so I have to be very quiet when I fill it so as not to disturb them...


7) Tired of perched birds yet? No? Good, because here's another. I've had this little guy forever and a day. His beak is half broken and the sides of his bath have chipped off so that it hardly holds any water at all anymore, but I still love him!


8) I got this 'waterfall' fountain at Wal Mart at the same time I got the other fountain (also on clearance!). We were building a patio at ground level and I really wanted one fountain for up on the deck and one for next to the patio. The squirrels and chipmunks love - love - love this one!


9) This birdbath is attached to our deck year-round. In the winter it gets plugged in because it's a heated birdbath so that even in our sub-zero New England temperatures, when everything else is frozen solid, my little squirrel and birdie friends can get a drink. The mourning doves actually use it as a 'sauna' in the winter months; they often gather around it toward sundown, and you can see the steam rising off the water... Smart cookies, those mourning doves!


10) Ahhh, the "secret garden" birdbath... This birdbath sits in a somewhat 'au natural' section of the yard, next to our shed (overgrown is probably a more accurate term). I'm tempted to move it more into the open because it's so pretty, and I may do that at some point in time, but the squirrels and birds (at least the modest ones) seem to really like the fact that it's tucked away behind some branches and such... It gets a lot of activity and use!


11) This is the numero uno choice of the robins. Robins bathe with reckless abandon and this birdbath has it all ... it's wide and it's deep... they can dunk and dip and frolic to their heart's content. I oftentimes have to fill this bath several times a day because they splash so much of the water out during their baths! Right now it sits on a huge UFO saucer-shaped, grassless section of muddy topsoil. We are in the process of filling in the crater that was once the bottom of our above-ground pool, taken down last summer... Yes, I have many plans for this part of the yard!!


12) And last but not least, this little lagoon birdbath hangs from our cherry tree, another small bird favorite because it is shallow.

So that's it... They're all filled and ready for whatever feathered or furry creatures feel the need for a drink - or a bath!! Thanks for coming along!

Donna

16 comments:

Michele said...

I LOVED this post!!!!!! I truly love the birdbaths, and your yard seems like a haven for so many birdies and little fur creatures. It must be so fun to watch them all. I also like the birdbaths with birds perched on the edge like you do.

I'm wondering what is a good price for the fountains like the ones you got at Walmart? When do they typically go on clearance? I'd love to get one, but it would have to be a really good deal. I just don't know what that is, LOL!!

Anyway, thanks for the tour! I loved it!!

Michele
luvkittysmeowmail@gmail.com

Michele said...

I forgot to ask you where you got the fountain in the first picture? Where is the best place to look for them for good prices? Thanks, and I hope you don't mind all my questions.

Michele
luvkittysmeowmail@gmail.com

{oc cottage} said...

What lucky birdies!!!!!!!!!!

M ^..^

Anonymous said...

Awww, thanks Michele and M! Michele, it was a few years ago, but once Wal Mart started marking the fountains down for clearance, I went every day to make sure they weren't running low on stock (and they had plenty of them) so I waited for them to get down to about $50 if I remember right and then I pounced and bought the tiered one and the rock waterfall one. Were you asking where I got the birdbath in photo 1? It was also from WalMart, 10 or more years ago. #1, 2, 6, 8, and 12 all came from Wal Mart throughout the years. #5 came from K-Mart this year. #9 came from Wild Birds Unlimited several years ago, and #3 came from Christmas Tree Shop last year. The others were from various garden centers in years past... They're all kind of old... If you can't find a fountain locally at a reasonable price, check lowes.com, homedepot.com, target.com, and walmart.com. Many times they offer free shipping on larger items. Hope you find one - they really do draw animals and birds into the yard!...Donna

COLLS GARDEN said...

Wow Donna, they are all wonderful. All the birds etc must just love your garden. I thought I was doing well to have 3 (giggle). BTW, love all your pretty appliques.
Hugs, Coll :-}

Edie Marie's Attic said...

Hi Donna!
And that doesn't include the birdbath planters! I love all of them, especially the perched birds on them. You have a wonderful haven for birds, I've heard them talking about it all the way over here in Ohio!! LOL
Hugs, Sherry
What a steal you got on the Walmart find!! I want one!!

Marie said...

What a pretty post. I've been dying to buy a birdbath but have yet to find one that I like! And you have 12? lol I keep checking my local Walmart but I haven't seen anything there. You've inspired me to keep up the search though!

NnN said...

CG!! They are ALL great! But I am partial to the smaller one for the robins....so fun! We tend to have saucer type baths placed all around too...we have 6 all in all...I need to catch up! LOVE your yard too! :)

JoAnne said...

Thank you for the tour! When my husband got home last night, I met him at the door to ask him where our old bird bath was. It was the prettiest blue ceramic and the top froze and broke. It would make a BEAUTIFUL plant stand but unfortunately he already took it to the dump! Sometimes he is way too efficient to live with me. LOL Now if you'll excuse me - I'm offf to Walmart to look around, JoAnne

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Donna!

I'm finally back from our vacation in Ireland, and I had a good time catching up on your blog!

CONGRATULATIONS to your daughter on her college graduation! I know how proud you are of her -- I wish her much success and happiness always in her chosen profession. Your post about her college room brought tears to my eyes .... it all goes by so fast doesn't it?

I'd love to be included in give away # 2! Thanks so much!

Hugs, Pat

Joanne Kennedy said...

I LOVE all the bird baths. You made me realize I need to get several more. Now I'm on the look out for good sales. To be honest I never even thought to look at Walmart. But I sure will be now. I have a cousin that works there and she can hide (shhh don't tell) things until they go on sale. So I may have to go pick a few out.

I really love that you have the lower ones on the ground for the opossums and skunks and several for the squirrels. You are right, they need water too.

I used to live in this house that was backed up to the wilderness. Every night an opossum and a skunk would come. I left food out for them. They would both try to be the first one to eat. I would spend hours watching them. I hated when the skunk would result to spraying in order to eat first though. YUCK!

I also had 5 raccoons that came at night. I would sit out on the deck and feed them. They would eat out of my hands. So cute! It wasn't until much later I found out they could be pretty mean and nasty and really hurt you. Thankfully I was lucky and only saw their sweet side.

Hugs,
Joanne

Jan~Feather Your Nest Antiques said...

Donna~Thanks for the tour.I loved it!Don't you just love those birds.I could watch them all day!

Life on the Edge said...

Those are so beautiful! The ones with the little stone birds are just precious. I like that you don't throw out the ones that are chipped or broken because they are still so charming. I am in birdbath envy right now, lol. I'm going to have to watch clearance sales and get one for my yard too as I have plenty of birds in the yard.

I really like that waterfall. I was thinking that I need some sort of fountain for my patio.

maggie said...

All your bird baths are so adorable. I love them and wish my garden had some but I don't consider myself truly landed yet so I want until I am sure where I want to be. Then my garden will have a birdbath or two or three....

joyh82 said...

Wow, I only have one...lol
One is just as cute as the other.

Robin said...

The yard is beautiful! How sweet that you keep water out year round!