A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs Butterfly and Bird Gardens Swallows

I know swallows like to take dust baths. I was wondering if they would like fireplace ash for their dust bowl?

Tammy I personnally do not know, but I am thinking, if you have the ash, why not give it a try---then after your experimant is thru, you can let us all know how it goes---besides, now my curiosity is arroused!!

Make sure to NOT use HOT ashes!

No not hot ashes. The ashes I prepared for the plants I have extra. So i need something shallow and heavy to put it in I guess. And I can't put it out today because it is suppose to rain. But tomorrow it will be back to hot so I can put it out then. Do you think I a glass dinner plate would be heavy enough? All my containers are lightweight.

A glass plate may be too slippery for them. Birds need texture to get a footing on. Even with ash in it it may be too slick. Think of stepping on a patch of fluffy snow to find out under the snow is slick ice. Is there a spot on the ground you can de-grass and put it in there?

I don't suppose you have one of those hanging watering plates?? they are slightly bowled and have a textured surface. I got one at home depot. Gave it to my DD though.------I would think you could use something like that without the hanging part, of course.

I used tupperware. I can see there little feet marks in it but they don't roll in it when I am watching. I wish I had see through curtains. Then maybe they wouldn't be so afraid.


I got a dog dish for water it is ceramic. It's shallow. I'm thinking they need water because they land with their beaks wide open. Is that like a dog panting?

A new group of swallows have found the air conditioning unit. One of the swallows is very daring. It got right up on the window and even pecked at the plexy glass. Staring at me the whole time. He also hopped up on the tupperware and the water dish but didn't avail himself of either a dust bath or a drink of water. But at least I know they can perch on them if they want to.

the wheat I put out has sprouted because of the rains we had. It's so funny to see it growing on the top of the air conditioning unit.

Yes

Cool I'm glad I at least understood that.

Are they like captive birds needing to have their water refreshed every day?