Photo Courtesy of: Flickr Photos and Shared through Creative Commons by Kenneth Cole Schneider

A bird exactly like the one in the photograph above visited my yard in the past week or two. I was thrilled when I first spotted him, and became even more enthralled when he whimsically jumped aboard my old-fashioned swing. He hopped around the yard a few minutes and then took to wing.

I immediately went to the computer and typed all his characteristic markings into Google. Larger sized bird, purple/black crescent on chest, spots, and a red stripe on head. I searched through images that came up and soon identified my “pheathered” visitor as a Flicker.

I have had a large variety of birds in my yard this year. I think it is due in part to this new/old suet feeder my father gave to me. It is protected from marauding squirrels by an outer cage, and seems to have drawn many more woodpeckers, flickers and other nuthatch type birds to the yard.

I have two small bird baths, but this large-sized bath in the back garden is a popular place. I can look out all through the day and see birds drinking and bathing. I’m having a good time bird-watching this summer.

Here’s an addition to this post that I am re-printing here from the comment section. Thanks James!

IDEA:

“I took a plastic birdbath & drilled 2 small holes in it….1 in the base, & 1 in the dish.

I then took 2 couplers*(I think that’s what they are called) & inserted them in the holes(there are nuts & washers on both ends to tighten against the plastic).

I then used a small rubber type hose, to run from the base to the dish…secured each end of the hose with a adjustable hose clamp.

On the base, I added a converter so that I could hook up a garden hose to the bird bath.

On the piece that protrudes from the dish, I found(at a garden store) nozzle that clamps onto that piece….

now in the summer, when the birds need it most, they have a constant “shower” in which to bathe….and I get the honor of watching them as they do..

footnote:
where the couplers go through the plastic, I added a clear silicone sealant to keep out the weather & to keep in the gravel that I added to the base for ballast weight.
With this extra weight in the bottom, the bird bath is not so apt to get blown over during storms.
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This DIY project may seem complicated to some, but it really isn’t hard at all, and it doesn’t take a lot of time once you get everything you need. & it’s cheap too!
I had most of what I needed, so it didn’t cost much…I think I spent $4 or $5 on the whole thing…but like I said, I had most of what I needed already.

I’m thinking about $10 for everything but the bird bath….maybe less.

*the couplers I speak of are hollow threaded tubes with a washer & a nut on both ends. these are made of steel, brass, or stainless steel.

stainless steel…….most expensive type, but the best quality
steel………………….moderately priced but cheapest quality
brass…………………cheapest cost but 2nd best quality “