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I thought the 'bird bath heater' thing was a total scam until this winter
For years, I figured birds could just find water somewhere else if my little concrete bath froze over. Then a neighbor in my building, who's been birding for ages, gave me her old $40 electric heater that sits in the water. I tried it for a week in January, and my yard went from zero birds to a constant crowd of juncos and sparrows. It turns out liquid water is a huge deal for them when everything is ice. Now I'm a believer, but I still see folks online saying heaters stress birds out or are a waste of money. What's the real deal, have you tried one?
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ivan_fisher997mo ago
Did your neighbor tell you how many birds she sees with it? Mine has been a lifesaver this year.
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lisa_grant5mo ago
Have you tried putting a small dish of water near your feeder? That really made the difference for me. I get a ton of cardinals and chickadees now, and even a few goldfinches. One blue jay comes by every morning too, it's so fun to watch. I keep a little pad by the window like your neighbor does, it's a good way to track them!
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michael_fisher557mo ago
My neighbor said she counted over twenty different types just last week (cardinals, blue jays, even a woodpecker). She keeps a little notebook by the window now. I read that having a water source nearby really boosts the numbers. It makes the yard feel so much more alive.
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