Just came inside and wanted to share some pictures of the hummers at the watering can. He's been there awhile drinking, resting & taking a bath.
pics from the watering can
Another one of him bathing.
And now he has to rest.
Great shots! My two little hummers have disappeared for the year, so it was nice to see yours today. Thank you so much for sharing them.
Janet
That is just SO adorable!
Great pics !!!
Thanks for sharing
~Julie =0)
Too sweet! I'm sooooo jealous! I WANT HUMMERS IN MY YARD! (This is torture!) LOL
Great shots! Thanks so much for posting them! What a cutie!
Those are great shots! Thanks so much for sharing them with us.
Is that watering can a fountain? or were you holding it. That is precious.
Josephine.
It is a watering can hooked up to a pump. It pours water into a tub and then into a pond. I still haven't finished the pond, this was just a practice one, plastic inside of cinder blocks (cheap). Next month I hope to re-do it to include an area for a bird bath.
Here's a picture of the entire area.
What a sweet thing! I love that watering can, and that huge toad too! I'm adding one of those to my Christmas list since I won't buy myself one.
Becky, add hummers to your list. Maybe if you're nice Santa will bring you one!
I've found the watering can to be the best thing for getting birds into your yard, they love it. I've now go sparrows, finches, juncos, blackbirds, doves, hummers, and robins visiting during the day. The toad, Santa can find at Lowe's.
Nice hummie action betterbloom!
Thanks for sharing!!
Becky, I see hummers in your future! :-)
WOW!!! That is soooooooooo cool!!!
~ Cat
you should enter one of those pics in the photo contest. too cool
BB, I don't think you would get any better action than that with a birdbath. That is so cool. I have a watering can or two that are retired now, no spray, broken handle, etc. But I bet they would make a great fountain!
Thanks, I will probably enter the first and the third one, unless I get something better tomorrow.
Don't discount the photo in your "hummers this morning" thread in November. It had the two at the watering can; I loved it. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/670500/
Sheila, you should have seen this watering can when my neighbor gave it to me....I did alot of changing, painting, etc. When I change it I'm going to keep the watering can and tub idea, just wanted to change the looks of the pond and very shallow for the birds to bath in and the frogs to swim in. Maybe more larger rocks and a birdfeeder in the middle ?
betterbloom - I have to tell you, the more I look at your photos, the more I really, really like your watering can fountain. And it looks like all the birdies agree with me, too! :-)
I have a question...... how do you have the tubing running into the watering can? Is it just draped over the side down into the can or did you drill some kind of hole in the watering can and affix the tubing through a hole? And another question .... is this set-up close to your house .... like right next to it or further away in your yard?
I'm asking for two reasons:
1) I might copy your idea somewhat if you don't mind the greatest flattery of all. :-)
2) I have a fountain I bought. It is shallow and has water running down some fake resin stones. No birds ever! Natta! (Nor much of anything else for that matter.) I am wondering if it is too close to my house which may be discouraging the birds from coming that close to humans or if it is just running too fast. It's not trickling, it's pouring into the bottom of the pond from the top ledge. There is an adjustment to slow it down a bit, but it is currently on high.
I am asking you these questions because I know that you are trying out different things with your fountain/pond set-up. I have to give you a lot of credit for originality, low cost, and that fact that it is uniquely designed and handmade by you! Most people just buy one. I like yours better than any store-bought fountain or pond I have seen. I think it is the painting design on the watering can that is the clencher. Very, very cute!
And I agree with Sheila - I like the photo of both hummers by the fountain on a previous thread. But they are all good!
So many of you here on this forum are soooooo amazingly creative! Not me. I just copy other people's wonderful ideas! Not a creative bone in this old body! lol
This message was edited Nov 27, 2006 12:19 AM
That has to be the most awesome shot of a hummer I have seen. So cool!!!!!
Becky, I'll send you pics of the watering can tomorrow, so you can see how it's hooked up. Mine is about 10 feet from my door. I walk right out there and most of the time it doesn't bother them so I don't think yours is too close, maybe you just need running water?
BB - Oh I HAVE running water. It sounds like a fast moving stream over a small waterfall. Seriously! It's quite loud. My neighbor can hear it from her backyard. First time she heard (after I hooked it up) she thought we had a plumbing leak in our yard somewhere! LOL Is your watering can have running water or dripping water?
Yes! I would LOVE to see how you have your watering can hooked up to a pump. I wonder if your setup is attractive to the birds because there is sort of a "perch" for the little birdies to sit on? And feel free to post any and all photos right here on your thread because I just have a feeling others besides me are also interested in how you have your fountain hooked up! Inquiring minds want to know! :-)
becky, It's hard to get picks of this without taking it out. It was already drilled and tubed when my neighbor gave it to me so I had to mickey mouse it so it would sit where I wanted it and was trying to hide some of the tube and cord. If your going to try this I would suggest drilling the side of the watering can, not the bottom. My neighbor also used large tubing on the watering can, not necessary, and harder to bend and cover. The pump I bought costed around $45.00, very small. Here's a pic of a diagram, and then I'll send pics of the pump and can.
here's the pump, it is underwater inside the pond.
And one of the watering can, not very good, if you need a better pic let me know and I will have someone hold it up while I take a pic. For those of you that don't have a pond you can have the watering can pour the water from the tub to the watering can. Hope this helps, if not let me know. Now outside to get some bird pics
..Taking notes...
Thanks~ betterbloom! Now I need a container similar to the watering can, some tubing, a liner, a pump, a few notions, and a couple big fellas to dig the hole. Ouala!
Becky~ did changing the setting change anything on your little fountain?
Mine attaches to the watering can, so the can fills up with water and then pours out. An easier way would be to drill a hole just big enough for the tube and then run the tube to the spout..less change of rotting out the can and less water dripping like mine.
I'm going to re-do mine next month, using clear plastic and different bricks, but no digging here...I'm limited , as this is the county's property, not mine.
Come to think of it, there doesn't have to be that much digging for me, just a cradle maybe half as deep as the liner. Then I could build off of that with dirt and rocks, plants, etc.
Could also think about using a small plastic kid's wadding pool.
BB - Thanks for sharing the photos and info about your great watering can fountain. It's terrific! I noticed that you mentioned that your watering can fountain is "dripping". Is that correct? If so, then I am wondering if perhaps the birds prefer that over flowing water? I have heard that the birds like dripping water to drink and misting water to bath in. As do butterflies! So if your watering can is just dripping water into the tub, I bet that is what the major attraction is!
Which may be a big difference between why they come to yours and not mine. Though honestly, if I was a bird, I would go to yours because it is just so darn cute! And you have that spout to perch on! :-) :-) :-)
Thanks for taking the time to draw it out and photograph everything. I really appreciate and I fully understand how it now works. Mucho appreciate it!
Yeah better!! You really made it look easier! Thanks for all the great ideas!
Becky, it doesn't drip, it does pour. Have you tried putting a bird feeder near yours ? I had a hummingbird feeder in the pond but the bees got to it there also. I have two finch feeders not far from the pond, maybe that's a help.
BB - I had the hummer feeder right next to the waterfall pond but to no avail. Narry a hummer, yet. I do not have a bird feeder in my yard. I want one, but I have tons of squirrels and don't want them getting to the seed first. I actually have a squirrel feeder, too. (Which I haven't used yet.) I don't mind the squirrels or birds. It's the mess from the seeds that have made me relunctant to put a feeder up. I had visions/plans to mount a feeder on a post and then put pavers around the ground underneath it. I am mainly worried about the seeds that are dropped (instead of eaten) sprouting in the ground around the feeder.
Am I being to "perfect and controling" again????? LOL
So ... I guess that brings up the next question ..... what is a good bird feeder? And if you have one, where did you get it.
The one that I want (possibly for Christmas from my family) is at this link:
http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTProduct.asp?SKU=HF-7511
But since I know absolutely zip about bird feeders, I have no idea if this feeder would actually be a good one.
Again, advice would be greatly appreciated here.
I have also heard that if you bake the bird seed for a short time, it will NOT germinate. Even if that is true, do I really want to spend the time doing that every time I buy a bag of bird seeds?
This message was edited Nov 27, 2006 10:24 PM
I've also had problems with it geminating...I used to have a stand that sat in the middle of a small wading pool (empty). Didn't look to appealing, but none went on the grass and birds went in it to get what had dropped in there so none wasted. My feeders now are by the wood pile so if it wants to grow there it's okay with me. What the finches drop the sparrows will usually get anyways. There is a brand that says it doesn't germinate but I can't remember where I bought it. Some birds are skidish about eating from a feeder, in the summer time I have to throw it in the yard for the yellow headed blackbirds and the grosbeaks or they just fly by. What kind of birds are in your area?
Being in Florida - we get all kinds of migrating birds in the Fall/Winter months from the northern states. To be honest, I don't know. I just know we get a lot of different birds that we don't usually have in the spring/summer. Since I am not into bird watching and identifying, I can only guess.
Please don't boo me out of here but......I stopped feeding the birds because it attracted roof rats. It was awful, they were under our raised deck, it's about 2' off the ground. I would see them come out from there...during the day!!! There population will be proportionate to their food source and wow can they breed! Then I started hearing rustling around in the attic and I bet they were up there, I never did see them though. When I took down the feeder and cleaned up the mess, the rats moved on......probably to my neighbors that still feed.
I don't mean to be negative, just that rats are so awful.
Aren't squirrels rodents? (With bushy tails!) I can certainly understand your dilemma with the rats and the bird seed, fly_girl. Yikes! I know that it will attract critters and I am sure we have field mice and other things here, too.
If I did a feeder, it would be at the very back of the yard near the back fence. Again, I am still debating whether to go there or not with such an addition. :-/
Scribbling notes ......I need a watering can gizmo, too. : )
What size pump? Something like at HD or Lowes?
I love that last pond picture you put up with the 3 little birds, and that huge big-eyed frog.
Toooo cute. : )
I can see your point fly girl. If I had rats I'd stop putting out bird seed also. Around here the owls and hawks control the population of those. I have more of a problem with trying to feed the small birds and getting every bird from miles around.
