Anyone got a solar powered bird bath/water feature? Any good?

[JazzHands]

They look good in principle (DH dead set on something making a tinkling noise but I can't be faffed with cables to outside etc) but do they actually get enough sun to be effective?

My first google came up with this and I've only just realised they exist! This one looks a bit plasticy but if they work I will look for a snazzier one...

TIA

Why thud?

It's not that stupid a question surely

And they do go in that garden...

I can talk about my trip to the garden centre today if you would prefer and my indecision over what potatoes to have this year?

There are some things you need and there are some thing you don't.

A nice wide shallow dish put fairly high up (to stop cats) near your window will bring a lot of joy to you watching the birds. A tinkling noisy thing will just annoy after a while.

I have one that works very well. It came from the Amnesty catalogue last year (they don't have the exact one in the catalogue now but it is like this only with a bird not a frog)

www.amnestyshop.org.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=791

The solar panel can either be fixed to something or else there is a spike thing that you can move around the garden to stay in the sun if you can be bothered.

It makes a nice tinkly sound and is pretty easy to put together. And it helps Amnesty which I think is a good thing!

It's up the end of the garden. We have a "normal" one near the house.

We have spent a whole year lifting a large area of run down paving apart from the bit in the middle which was far too heavy to lift.

DH had to dig out a random deep sand trough which was underneath.

I spent weeks digging in compost from our compost heap to improve the soil which had been covered for years.

Finally seeded it and am utterly chuffed that we now we have a lovely new lawn, albeit with a random slab of pebble effect concrete in the middle of it.

So I want a birdbath and DH wants a water feature and this seemed like a good idea. Why does it have to be about need? What's wrong with want?

We have spent months getting the garden reasonable and the veg areas going and I come on here and am basically told to fuck off.

If you don;t like them then why say anything?This isn't AIBU I didn't expect to get a hammering for asking a perfectly sensible question ie do these fucking things work or not

We have a tinkly one (to distract from background traffic noise) and it is nice. It is great in summer but not so great in winter (obviously) Only thing I would say is ours does not store the energy, so it literally works only for when the sun is on it. As soon as the sun disappears behind a cloud for a nano-second the water stops.... Wish I'd known that before I got it - I would have spent a bit extra on one that could store the energy for a few hours (assuming they exist - haven't checked since it is too late for me ) so you would get more running time!

Quite right Jazz; I thought that comment was unnecessary too.

I don't know about solar powered ones, but my mum has a normal one and it makes me need to wee every 10 mins.

That might just be my pelvic floor though

Your garden sounds lovely.

Thanks redfraggle and subtlemouse - I'll definitely keep an eye out for one which stores some power...

Sorry I went off the deep end a bit there but I'm feeling a bit fragile at the mo and hadn't banked on being attacked like that on a thread about a water feature.

JazzHands - I am not attacking you. Come on.

I am just expressing a thoughful opinion that you might come to regret the noise and you might enjoy a traditional bird bath much nearer to your house where you could see the birds.

Tinkle Tinkle Tinkle Tinkle Tinkle Tinkle

You see - I bet thats annoying you already. Are you very easily annoyed?

How about solar lights and a wind charm in the trees - they would make a nice feature at night and much easier to set up?

Just being helpful. Good night all.

abetadad did you read my post?

It will not be near the house.

We already have a traditional bird bath near the house.

I found your original post a little patronising, your assumption that I am unaware of what is necessary for a bird bath from the POV of a bird. If I want one with flashing lights which plays the theme from close encounters then that is what I will have. Once I have reassured myself that they work well enough under solar power, a question which some other posters have been kind enough to answer.

Ok I didn't mean to offend. I am not looking for an arguement.

One thing I have found a problem with solar lights I have is that the manufacturer
advises not to leave them outside in winter. I think the solar panel has a sort of gel in it that freezes. You may want to check that out with the bird bath.