Transform a bird bath into a backyard water feature with a solar power

The Bird Bath Challenge

Hi, my name is Larry Satchwell. Last summer, I built a concrete bird bath, hoping to attract birds to play in it. But the reality was that the bird bath could not hold water, and the water in it evaporated very quickly, and I had to keep adding water, which felt like a battle that I could never win.

A Solar-Powered Solution

But this year, I had a new idea. I had always been interested in the Poposoap solar powered fountain pump, and wondered if I could use it to transform the bird bath into an interesting water feature. This would not only solve the problem of water retention, but also make the birds like it more!

Installation Day

The day of the installation, the sun was shining brightly, which was perfect for testing the solar system. Right from the start, I discovered a trick to control the water flow of the pump. I just covered the solar panel with a cardboard box, and the pump stopped pumping water for a few minutes, which worked quite well. I was about to adjust the equipment when I noticed a weed growing in the middle of the raspberry bush. I used this method to turn off the pump and get rid of the weed first.

The Lotus Pond Addition

Next, I came to the lotus pond. I was delighted to see the small lotus leaves emerging from the pond. I put a 16-inch-high concrete block in the pond, thinking that it would be a good match. Then, I started to worry about the choice of nozzle. There are several nozzles to choose from, but I am not sure which one is the best. In the end, I decided not to cut the hose yet. After all, the summer is still long, and maybe I will have other ideas later.

Fine-Tuning the Water Flow

While fiddling with the nozzle, I found that I couldn’t find the bricks I prepared before, and I might need to adjust the water flow rate. Fortunately, this 20-watt fountain has an advantage that the water flow rate can be adjusted. If you think it is not suitable, you can adjust it at any time. I tried to fix the nozzle with a stone, but I was worried that the stone would not be heavy enough.

The Waterscape Comes to Life

The preparations were almost done, I removed the cardboard from the solar panel, and the water pump started working. I was so happy to see the water flowing and creating ripples. This is the effect I have always wanted! The flowing water not only repels mosquitoes, but also makes the whole waterscape more lively. When the parrot's feathers grow more lush, they will be able to cover the concrete blocks, and it will definitely look better. Now there is a small vortex, and the whole picture is so great.

Anticipating Bird Visitors

I plan to keep it like this, and I am also going to set up a camera next to it, looking forward to capturing interesting pictures of birds taking a bath. I hope they will also like this new bird bath waterscape.