Birds like a bath too...

[Vital Spark]

The hot season will soon be coming here, and our little feathered friends need to cool off.

We bought a couple of dishes that are used as bottoms for the large pots for plants, they only cost 150 baht each. We filled them with water (they're about a couple of inches deep) and after a couple of days, when the birds realise it's not a trap, the birdlife it attracts is wonderful to watch. Ours are on up-turned large urns - birds are not happy bathing on the ground, especially if you have dogs around. I didn't realise we had such a variety of birdlife until we installed the paddling pool for them.

If you have some spare space in the garden, it's a pleasure to watch them having fun.

VS

[richard]

Great

I'll do the same in the Isaan village and maybe give it a try on one of my balconies in the HH condo. Plenty of birds come for a few crumbs 9 floors up

[Norseman]

I agree 100% with you VS.
It's a joy to listen to the sparrows, finches and magpies during the day.
They really enjoy those small swimming pools.
BUT; just around when the sun goes down and the black and white birds starts cranking up, then I really miss my shotgun.
Don't know their name, but jeeez - they all behave as Thai women speaking in a cellphone.
LOUD!!

[richard]

Why do al the HH birds (feathered) congregate around the Tossaban at sunset?

[STEVE G]

We once had a thread about that on here but I can't remember if there was ever any plausible reasons given for why they're there.

[lindosfan1]

Richard said
[quote]Why do al the HH birds (feathered) congregate around the Tossaban at sunset?
Birds usually gather like that at sunset because it is their roosting place.

[PeteC]

Yes, unfortunately when those brown and white common magpies find the bird bath, that's it, you'll then seldom see any other type of bird. They drive other birds away, destroy their nests, eat their young etc. To my knowledge Australia pays a bounty on them and I can clearly understand why. They do let out loud and shrilling alerts though when a snake is around and that's the only good thing about them here. Pete

[charlesh]

Those horrible things congregating at the tesseban at sundown (not overweight farangs ha, ha) are starlings and should be shot or poisoned. Yet another Indian introduced species of vermin along with mynahs. They are quite aggressive towards native birds - those that survive the Thai shanghais anyway.

[PeteC]

↑ Thanks Charlesh, I meant mynah, not magpie. Pete

[Nereus]

↑ Thanks Charlesh, I meant mynah, not magpie. Pete

Well, I just wrote a big spiel about magpies and the whole frigging thing vanished while I was correcting it!
They are protected in Australia. At my late parents house in Australia there were several local wild birds that used to line up on the front patio and "knock" on the glass door with their beak until they were given something to eat, usually some bread. They are also very vocal and have an amazing range of calls.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Magpie