Hanging Bamboo BirdbathHanging Bamboo Birdbath

Here’s a simple project that’s certain to attract winged visitors. Because it’s lightweight and portable, you can locate it virtually anywhere in your yard.

Materials

  • four bamboo stakes, each 1/2 x 20 inches
  • a plastic plant saucer, 14 inches in diameter
  • 20 feet of jute rope
  • outdoor constructive adhesive, such as Liquid Nails
  • 10 feet of chain, 1/4 inch in diameter
  • four binder rings, 2 inches in diameter*
  • a key ring, 1 inch in diameter*
  • an S-hook

* Make sure the binder rings and key ring will slip through the chain

Tools

  • measuring tape
  • pencil
  • handsaw
  • scissors
  • pliers

Instructions

  1. If you need to cut the bamboo to size, measure and cut it with the handsaw. You need four stakes that are each 20 inches long.
  2. Arrange the pieces of bamboo so they form a square frame on which the saucer will sit; you’ll have overlap at the ends. (Be sure the saucer fits on top of, and not in, the bamboo frame.) The bamboo pieces should be at right angles to one another.
  3. Check to ensure the bamboo frame is square and the saucer fits. You can straighten the piece now if necessary.
  4. Cut four pieces of jute, each 5 feet long. Wrap one end of the jute around each corner and knot, leaving a tail that will be used to tie the other end to later. Wrap the jute around the two pieces of bamboo, alternating directions. When you’ve wrapped all the jute, knot it with the tail.
  5. Place a small dab of outdoor construction adhesive on each knot of the jute and let dry.
  6. Separate the chain into two pieces that are each 5 feet long by using pliers to open a link in the middle.
  7. On each end of the pieces of chain, attach a binder ring. Place the binder rings around the overlapped corner of the bamboo frame. Close the binder rings and secure each with a dab of outdoor construction adhesive, if desired.
  8. Run the key ring through the center link of each length of chain. Loop the S-hook through the key ring to hang the birdbath.

Bird, bath and beyond

Discover how simple water sources from the obvious to obscure can bring feathered friends to your yard.

One of the easiest ways to attract birds to your yard is to offer them water. Providing a reliable water source throughout the seasons will lure birds with a place to drink and bathe. Even a simple water source, such as a natural depression in a rock, can provide a refreshing oasis for smaller species.

Once birds discover water, its magnetic appeal keeps them coming back. Actually, just the sound of water in the form of a sprinkler, bubbler, fountain or waterfall can make a dramatic difference between a run of the mill resting spot for a few feathered friends, or an exceptional habitat that a variety of birds find irresistibly appealing.

Simple water sources

Smaller birds often seek pint-sized places to quench their thirst or wet their feathers. For example, a sprinkler used to water a lawn or garden bed also creates a fine spray for hummingbirds that like to buzz through the mist as they bathe on the wing. Use a hose to wet the foliage of large-leaved trees and shrubs, such as dogwoods, spicebush, hollies or hostas. Water that collects on the concave surfaces will form minuscule pools that dish up the perfect-sized bath for smaller birds like warblers and hummingbirds.

Summon with sound

Add sound with the splash of a backyard waterfall, gurgling fountain, or generate just a murmur of noise by using a bubbler attachment to water a tree or shrub. Birds also enjoy the subdued sound and movement of a mister or a dripper placed over a birdbath.

Drippers are available at bird supply stores and garden centers. Or you can make your own by hanging a bucket, old watering can, or gallon-sized plastic milk jug just a few feet above your birdbath. Simply drill or puncture a small hole at the lower edge of the container and fill with water. The hole should be small enough so the water drips out slowly — about 10 to 20 drops a minute.

Birdbath basics

A birdbath is always a popular attraction. Ready-made birdbaths are available in a variety of styles and materials. But any shallow receptacle can be used, from a waterproof bowl or large plant saucer, to a recycled hubcap or boat hatch.

Most songbirds feel safest with shallow water and solid footing, so sturdy baths that gently slope to a center depth of no more than 3 inches are best. If the surface is smooth, use sandpaper to roughen it up, or apply safety footing like the non-slip stickers sold for bathtubs. Deeper baths can be made more bird-friendly by placing a few partially submerged rocks or branches to serve as perching platforms. Another option is to fill the bath with large pebbles or river stones to create shallow pools of water.

Place the baths in different locations and at varying heights, from ground level to hanging high from a tree. Just be sure that you have a good view of the birds as they drink and splash in the water. — Kris Wetherbee