Fountain for Steph

[EddieWalker]

My wife has wanted to put a bird bath along the edge of the trees in our front yard. She felt that the birds needed this and the one next to the house was too far for them. The small pond is about 200 feet away, so that's out of the question. Our poor birds needed a bird bath where they could feel safe and bath when the urge hits them.

For months, she's been going to nurseries all over the area, plust we've stoped at places around the state without finding what she wanted.

Yesterday, we drove up to Forney to see what we could find there. While walking around, she mentioned that a large ceramic bowl would make a nice bird bath if only it had a nice stand. A light went off in my head and I told her that we could buy a large bowl and I could mount it to the top of a cedar post set in the ground. She liked this idea and we started looking all over again for the perfect bowl.

It was deeper and bigger than any bird bath I'd ever seen, so it sort of hit me that it might make a nice fountain as well as a bird bath. She liked that idea allot!!

I set the post, cut it off at two feet and mounted the bowl. Then we tried a small pond pump that I have laying around. It's 60 gallons per hour, and way too small.

Today we went to Lowes and bought a 150 gallon per hour pump, a fountain head kit, electric items, decorative metal thingy, huming bird feeder, pavers, flowers and dirt.

It was a family project that we all took part in on a beautiful Sunday here in East Texas!!!

Eddie

 

[texbaylea]

Eddie

Great job by you and the family. That really looks nice. I will have to do something like that when we finish the house additions ad we can really landscape.

Vernon

 

[thcri]

Eddi,

Nice job. One question, how deep is the water? I see there is rocks in there but to the rocks how deep? I read a while back a common mistake people make on bird baths is they make them too deep and the birds can drown. Otherwise a job well done.

murph

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Very nice job Eddie. I like that type of bowl used for a birdbath.

My wife and I went out to where we are having our house built, should be pouring footings this week. She was looking around trying to decide where she wanted to put her birdfeeders and was talking about needing a new birdbath. She walked by when I was looking at the picture of yours. Item 326 added to my list of projects now .

 

[EddieWalker]

Vernon,

Thank you. It's a simple project that I wanted to share with everyone because it's sort of unusual to use a planting pot for something like this.

Murph,

Don't laugh, but there is an old spagettie strainer that is upside down over the pump. I had to cut a hole in it for the tube to go through it. Then we took two cookie racks and put them on top of the spagettie bowl. The rocks are from our driveway and carefully selected by the kids. Don't ask me what makes one rock better then another, but each one is VERY special!!!

Steph is/was terrified of a bird drowning, so the rocks give them perches above the water line, but also let them get as deep as an inch. Of couse, they can always take a shower in the fountain!!!!!!!!!!!

Eddie

 

[thcri]

Murph,

Don't laugh, but there is an old spagettie strainer that is upside down over the pump. I had to cut a hole in it for the tube to go through it. Then we took two cookie racks and put them on top of the spagettie bowl. The rocks are from our driveway and carefully selected by the kids. Don't ask me what makes one rock better then another, but each one is VERY special!!!

Steph is/was terrified of a bird drowning, so the rocks give them perches above the water line, but also let them get as deep as an inch. Of couse, they can always take a shower in the fountain!!!!!!!!!!!

Eddie

I am not laughing. It is a good looking job and will do service as intended. I like the fact our moving the water around to help keep it fresh. And the fact they won't drown is even better. I do some bird watching, and now have my own small bluebird trail. My kids told me that was a sign of age????

 

[EddieWalker]

Murph

Steph is 32 and she's a total birder nut. I don't think it has anything to do with age, but I can attest to how consuming it can become!!! Out 9 year old daughter built a bird house in the shop over the winter that I hung from a tree. There is a pair of blue birds in it with three chicks that they are feeding all day long. It's never ending. She'll sit on the porch and watch them, take pictures of them for hours!!!!!!

Eddie

 

[thcri]

Murph

Steph is 32 and she's a total birder nut. I don't think it has anything to do with age, but I can attest to how consuming it can become!!! Out 9 year old daughter built a bird house in the shop over the winter that I hung from a tree. There is a pair of blue birds in it with three chicks that they are feeding all day long. It's never ending. She'll sit on the porch and watch them, take pictures of them for hours!!!!!!

Eddie

Give this Bluebird link to your daughter if you let her on the computer. It has a lot of Bluebird information on it. The family she has right now is only one of three families that will use that box. When the little ones fledge she will want to go and pull the nest out so another can build. In that link there is some disturbing areas and pictures of what a House Sparrow can do to a bluebird. Your kids seem to be around animals alot and know mother nature but it may effect a young girl. So you may want to sit with her or preview it yourself first.

murph

 

[EddieWalker]

Item 326 added to my list of projects now .

I have a list of honey do's on my mirror in the shop. I write them down with a marker and try to get them done faster then she comes up with new ones. Luckily, I like her ideas, so it's a win-win situation.

One thing to plan on when your building your home is to have as many exterior outlets and water spickets that you can afford. This one suprised me and I had to run the wire to my panel. I didn't want an exterior outlet to share a breaker. It has a GFI outlet, but I still wanted it that way.

Eddie

 

[TBDonnelly]

Eddie,

That's an over the top bird bath. Not only a bird bath but a shower to boot.

.....Just don't tell me the water will be thermostatically cooled for those hot Texas days. (tongue firmly planted in cheek).

Don