How to Make a Bird Fountain Pond
Birds rely on natural sources to drink and are attracted to gardens by the sound of moving water. Making a shallow pond-style bird bath with a fountain has the added benefit of attracting other small wildlife. A shallow sloping pond bath with a fountain can easily be made and maintained by the backyard bird enthusiast. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- String or garden hose
- Measuring tape
- Calculator
- Lawn striping paint
- Shovel
- Board and level
- Plastic pond liner
- Pond liner underlayment
- Solar fountain kit
- Plastic colander
- Flagstone
- Large pebbles
- Pea gravel, polished decorative gravel or aquarium gravel
- Chicken wire (optional)
- Quick setting concrete (Optional)
Instructions
-
Planning the Pond
-
1
Site the pond bath within 10 feet of trees to provide preening perches. Check for underground utilities where you plan to dig and site the pond away from messy bird-feeding stations or overhanging shrubs that provide cover for predators.
-
2
Use string or a garden hose to lay out your pond. Using irregular shapes will make the shallow pond bath look more natural. Use lawn striping paint to mark the final design on the ground.
-
-
3
Measure the pond's length and width, then write down the totals. Multiply maximum depth (deepest spot) by 3. Add that total to the length, and again to the width. Add 1 foot to each measurement to allow edge overlap. For instance, a 12-inch-deep pond that is 3-feet-wide by 4-feet-long would need a 7-foot-wide by 8-foot-long liner (12 inches = 1 foot, 3 x 1 = 3, 3 + 3 + 1 = 7 and 3 + 4 + 1 = 8).
Pond Construction
-
4
Using your painted layout, dig the pond hole. Make it 4-inches-deep at the pond edges, sloping to 12-inches-deep where the solar fountain is located. Make the fountain portion of the pond at least 2-feet-wide.
-
5
Level the lip of the pond by placing a board from edge to edge and putting a level in the middle. Repeat all the way around the pond at several points. If the edge is not level, water will run out.
-
6
Remove roots and rocks and smooth the hole sides. Install the pond underlayment, then the liner, smoothing out wrinkles as you go. Make sure they both overlap the edge by at least 6 inches.
-
7
Install a solar fountain kit like the Smart Solar SunJet 150. Follow the manufacturer's directions for siting the solar panel to be sure it will work properly. Protect the pump inlet by installing an upturned plastic colander over the pump with a hole cut in the bottom for the fountain pipe.
-
8
Use pebbles to layer in the fountain area and use gravel for shallow areas near the pond edge. Create a "beach" by sloping the fill toward the fountain. A finished depth of 2 to 3 inches over most of the surface is ideal, with a 5-inch-deep spot around the fountain.
-
9
Lay the flagstones around the edge of the pond, covering the liner. Use large flat stones and lay them unstacked to make it easier for birds to enter the water.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Siting a solar panel requires full sun. Do not mount solar panels under overhanging landscape plants or where buildings will shade them.
Regular cleaning is required for bird baths. Using a pressure washer makes cleaning large pond baths easier.
Line your pond with a 4-inch layer of quick setting cement, using chicken wire as reinforcement for a more permanent and easier-to-clean installation.
Never use chemicals to control algae in a bird bath.
Never start a pond pump dry, since this will ruin the motor.
Always use a bird bath heater or drain the pond bath during freezing weather.
