Simple solar fountain adds sparkle to your birdbath
This Robin was attracted to the moving water of the DIY solar fountain that was originally a dripper. (See image below.)
Moving water attracts birds and creates sound in the garden
Solar fountains not only look and sound great, they can become a big factor in attracting a greater variety of birds to our bird baths.
We have several solar fountains in the garden operating in our water features, including one in a new project that incorporates a solar fountain driving a mini waterfalls in our container pond. There is also a larger solar panel powering our on-ground bubbling rock where birds, chipmunks and squirrels regularly visit to either bathe or get a drink from the bubbling rock or the small pond where the water pools.
In another area, a floating fountain bubbles over in our DIY naturalistic bird bath. This is a favourite of chickadees, cardinals, nuthatches and a host of woodpeckers as well as squirrels and chipmunks that can easily access the bird bath from a nearby dogwood or a small concrete bench.
And finally, a lovely copper and slate dripper turned DIY solar fountain, provides a source of moving water in our most prized copper bird bath. (Click on the link, for the full story on converting the dripper to a DIY fountain)
Together, these water features combine to help create a backyard wildlife garden that is attractive to an assortment of wildlife from birds, to mammals, amphibians and reptiles. What many of us probably don’t realize is that a water source is vital to all types of wildlife. In fact, our garden wildlife are more dependent on water than most of us realize.
It’s important also to provide garden wildlife with water they can easily access. A birdbath doesn’t always accomplish that for small animals.
For more on adding water to your garden, check out my earlier posts
This dripper was hooked up to a solar-powered pump to convert it to a small solar fountain. The solar panel can be seen in the background on the evergreen.
What birds art attracted to moving water?
Many birds are particularly attracted to moving water. Visually, the sparkle of moving water catch the attention of birds either flying over the garden or simply moving about. During migration in spring and fall, the moving water might be a factor on bringing unusual birds into your garden for a brief visit.
In addition, the movement of the water is a signal that the water is not stagnant and may send a message that the water is fresh and a more healthy choice.
Hummingbirds, Orioles, Jays, Robins and Goldfinches are just a few of the birds that are attracted to moving water. Add to that list Bluebirds, Chickadees, Nuthatches and even Woodpeckers.
Our large solar panel (8X13 inches), complete with its separate solar battery controller, is used to drive our small bubbling rock. The battery allows the pump to be used on shady days and into the evening when there is no sunlight available.
Why use solar rather than regular electrical outlets?
The solar panels I am speaking about are ridiculously inexpensive.
I usually order mine from Amazon, (link to solar fountains) but recently purchased two for a great price from Walmart’s on line outlet. The solar panels and pumps were less than $25 each and arrived to my home in less than two weeks. These pumps are so efficient that they likely pay for themselves in the first year.
But, more importantly, unlike traditional electrical outlets that limit where you can use the power, these small solar panels and pumps can be moved around the yard to your liking.
The small solar panel come with a long electrical cord to allow the panel to be moved a distance to catch the sun.
Want that bird bath in a different corner of the yard? Just move it along with the tiny 4.5-inch X 4.5-inch solar panel and tiny pump.
In addition, the safety aspect of using these small solar panels makes them indispensable in the garden.
With solar, there are no more worries about having children or pets around potentially dangerous electrical outlets combined with water.
Sure, the power output of these little pumps is nowhere near the potential power of traditional electrical outlets, but in most cases that amount of power is not needed unless you need a heavy flow of water over a waterfalls or a bubbling rock. Solar can still deliver that kind of power but it involves purchasing a much larger and more expensive solar-powered system.
A floating solar powered fountain can be an ideal addition to a larger birdbath that spends enough time in the sun to keep the floating fountain on for significant parts of the day. I use stones to keep the fountain in the centre of the birdbath.
Solar falls short in the shade
Of course, these solar pumps are far from perfect.
If you are looking for power to drive a lot of water, you won’t be satisfied with these mini pumps. And, if you set up your fountain in a shady part of the garden, you may not get enough sun to power the pump through the small solar panel.
Even if you do get sun at the location you have set up your fountain, you’ll have to move the solar panel throughout the day to follow the sun. Thankfully, the panel comes with a long chord to help you find a sunny area near the pump.
The solution is to step up to a solar panel that includes batteries that store the power so that it is always available, including in the evening when there is no hope of tapping into the suns energy.
Similar to solar lights that store the sun’s energy during the day and then operate at night, these solar panels include a replaceable battery or batteries that enables the user to flip a switch in the evening to run the water pump.
The solar pump we use to drive our bubbling rock incorporates a solar battery that allows us to drive the water and a small LED light during the evening. The problem is that the solar panel is much larger and harder to hide in the garden. If you are okay with garden visitors being able to see your larger solar panel (8X13 inches) than these higher end solar pumps solve that problem nicely.