If you build it, they will bathe

I’m pretty proud of this one.

I’ve been meaning to purchase a bird bath for the yard, but winced at the average $100 price tag. How am I supposed to save for new mega camera lenses if I spend so much on yard accessories? So I went the DIY route instead. Inspired by this idea, I picked up a few items from the local hardware store and got to work.

Ingredients: chain, carabiner, 5 key rings, and a glazed planter saucer.

I had to purchase cutting pliers, so the total cost was around $25, but those with the items on-hand could get away with an even cheaper lot. I cut the chain, re-connected in the appropriate places with key rings, and attached the four chain ends to a carabiner and chain-ring around the tree limb. Simple.

Ta-dah!

I couldn’t beilive it. Within the first hour a female Lesser Golfinch took the bait.

Success!

And then…shortly after, a female Red Crossbill!!! A new bird! Unbelievable.

Pretty stoked. At the same time, birds at the feeders:

I love sharing my world with these cool creatures. I worried though…about the new set-up leaving the birds vulnerable to neighborhood cats. A neighbor brought to my attention they’d witnessed cats stalking the trees and the last thing I want to do is to put the birds at risk. So, today I stopped by the Backyard Bird Shop with the intention of getting squirrel baffles to somehow deter the cats. But, the sales associate had a better idea…wrap the tree limbs with blackberry vines! Ultra genius.

It looks a little funky now, but the green will die off, and the brown will blend in with the bark. But the thorns will remain. I hope it’s effective. What do you think, Miss Humbird?

Mega ultra tweets and chirps,

Audrey