Hey, everyone. Important tip! I skipped putting underlayment down under the pond liner when I built this. I wish I had not skipped that step. It’s September 2023 and about a year after building the mini pond, it has developed a leak. I’ll be replacing the liner soon (and adding underlayment) and I want to build it as two little pools this time so it holds more water and so there’s more water movement. I’ll do an update video when I get around to getting this done. In the mean time, the pump is still running and birds are still using the pond. I just have to top it off around mid day if I want a full pool of water. Thanks for all the comments! I hope those of you who have added a mini pond or something like it to your landscape are getting lots of beautiful birds visiting!

@barbaraloring9476

7 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for this great tutorial - was looking for an efficient strategy to make a small wildlife-supporting pond, and this is fantastic! I’ve looked up the pond liner and am wondering if you recommend a certain kind/specification of underlayment to use with it?

@WarblerRidge

7 ай бұрын

@@barbaraloring9476 it’s called non woven geotextile underlayment. I found a 7x10 piece on Amazon for around $40. Good luck with your project!

@LongNguyenSpirit

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for all the great tips, but how to keep it to be that clean water without moss coming?

@ESowash

Ай бұрын

We used left over carpeting underneath pond liner.😊

@eternalfizzer

10 сағат бұрын

Thanks so much for this! I have a solar pump that I was going to mount on my rain barrel to keep it from growing moss, then I saw a video showing how to make a "bog filter", then it started to get complicated. You show how to just get something small up and running. I'll give it a try!

Prewashing the pebbles will help, too.

We have a house in Mexico that gets no rain from October through to end of May. I started out putting a plate outside on the grass for the little seedeaters and warblers and the Aztec doves, beautiful tiny doves that nest in my bougainvillea. Now lots of birds are discovering it as a water source and a spot to cool off before bedtime. I am refilling my plate a lot. When the satellite dish was obsolete I put it on its back in the grass too, and they need filling and rinsing a couple of times a day. This little pond will be perfect and might make my life simpler, thank you! I just have to find some copper to keep the mosquitos from laying eggs in it. In Australia I used to put pennies in my birdbath, but it’s hard to find pennies now! I just subscribed, I imagine a lot of bird care will translate to far south too. I’m just a bit worried about keeping it clean with our hard water and dusty atmosphere, but I can hose it out with the overflow going into a garden with your design. Thanks again!

@WarblerRidge

2 күн бұрын

I hose mine out when I add water, just like you describe, letting the excess dirty water flow out into the garden. Mine needs water added just about every day in the summer because of evaporation and the birds splashing out the water. In your hot location, you might want to dig your pool basin a little larger so it holds more water and might not have to be refilled as often. As long as there’s movement on the water surface, you shouldn’t have a problem with mosquitoes, but the copper is a neat tip! Thanks, I didn’t know about that! Good luck with your project and thanks for watching!

Great video! Another way to protect the pump is to put it to into a Paint Strainer Bag. It’s a nylon bag that painters use. They are inexpensive. I used them on my sump pumps when my patio would flood. They did a great job keeping the dirt out of the pumps.

@southernladywithmanyhats7428

26 күн бұрын

I put my pump for the goldfish pond in one of those plastic shoe boxes that I had drilled holes all in. That way the debre doesn't get all trapped in around the pump.

@gaylewilhelm9706

14 күн бұрын

Great idea!

Thank you!!! I was about to take down a goldfish pond out front. I can use my liner for this and we would ENJOY this big time close to our patio. I have a natural hill there and everything for a small waterfall. I also have the flagstone and rocks. I will have to buy some of the smaller river rocks but that's no biggie. I know the birds like really shallow water so I am going to do this!!! SOOOOO glad I saw this when I did or I'd gave away my liner and then regretted it later. I have had this liner for more that 30 years and it's still holding up very well. The pond is almost waist deep so I have plenty of liner! THANK YOU again!!! I can't wait to get started on this!!!! I LOVVVVE birds!!! PLUS I have a little solar powered fountain I could use for the hummingbirds to play in.

@WarblerRidge

26 күн бұрын

Oh, you’re all set! Have fun with it and enjoy watching the birds enjoy the water 🙂

So Nice!!! 👏

This is a pond I think I can do myself all I need is a small pond filter. Thank you for your pond video.

@WarblerRidge

2 күн бұрын

Good luck with your project and thanks for watching!

At 11:49 I thought you put a censor over the warbler bathing, like it was too risqué 😂 Took me a second to realize it was water on the camera

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

😂

And all the birds were like * it's a Mandela effect . This definitely wasn't here yesterday 😂

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

Lol 😂

I love to sit on my front porch swing and watch the birds in my feeders. I have a stone looking fountain with 3 waterfalls that the birds have discovered this year! They drink and splash around under the falls! I’ve also had a chipmunk stop by for sips of water!

@WarblerRidge

11 ай бұрын

That sounds perfect! I love the little chipmunks too. 🐿️

Genius idea with the berry basket.

@WarblerRidge

11 ай бұрын

Thanks! I’ve been trying for years to come up with a little “pump vault” for those mini pumps. This is the best option I’ve found.

@moomoo3031

Ай бұрын

@@WarblerRidge you might want to add some sort of filter around the pump, they clog up so fast when I had a pond once. I used a coffee can and (I cant remember what I used!) and filled it with I think was from my furnace filter. beautiful pond! I have a place for one , hope to get to it this summer! Happy May!

Nice video -- thank you! One thing I would like to add is that the liner should be well rinsed before using as well as any other plastics being used in the project, including the tubing and taking off the stickers from the fruit container, if using. Plastic always has a toxic residue when made that one should try to get rid of as much as possible for the sake of the birds and other wildlife that may use this.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

👍

One other tip--but does require more work in the initial build but less over the long haul is to give the larger pool a negative edge into a sump. For reference, check out pond-less waterfalls. This allows for a larger reservoir of water that gets replenished with the rains and maintains a constant depth within the pools. This could be helpful for anyone that has a high evaporation rate. It can still be done on a budget with a bucket with drilled holes for the pump containment and milk crates to create the voided space for more water volume. If topping off with water isn't an inconvenience, then this might not be necessary but it's still important to remember the evaporation rate--go on a trip with the family and the pump could potentially burn up--that's why I like the sump--peace of mind and consistent water depth. Really nice video for a well worth it project!

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

That’s sort of what I did with my larger bird pond, although it flows into an open water reservoir. I tried to keep this mini pond as simple as possible. And this layout makes for a very small footprint and requires very little digging. It does need to be topped off with about a gallon of water every couple days. But my larger pond with the larger reservoir has to be topped off every few days in the summer too. There’s evaporation and the birds splash a lot of the water onto surrounding rocks (or fly off with in on their feathers, lol) If I had an unlimited budget, I’d like to have something with an automatic refill when the water level gets too low. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. There are so many options for how to do these things.

@mike2687

Жыл бұрын

@@WarblerRidge - yeah, not every solution is friendly on the wallet! I built a pond for my boys to enjoy a couple years ago with an intake bay that sits in full sun and the evaporation loss is pretty significant. Quick flashback--my father had a koi pond growing up and killed everything three times--twice forgetting about when filling up the pond and the excess chlorine did them in. Another time, the PVC line that was valved off for filling the pond broke (inadvertently by a kid playing basketball--it was on the other side of the fence, ball hit it and the kid didn't say anything--our house was where everyone came to play anytime they wanted). Anyways, this has always been my fear for this pond... now that we've decided to build a much larger one, it'll have a negative edge dumping into a large reservoir that will collect rainwater from our gutters. For a smaller water feature like the bird pond, perhaps a rainwater barrel and a float similar to a toilet would suffice and not break the bank. By the way, what kind of camera do you use for the birds? It has a great resolution and looks perfectly clear.

@lindajones4478

9 ай бұрын

I always wash the dirt off all the stones before placing them to keep the water clean. I really like your little pond.👍❤❤❤

Thank you for this wonderful video. It was informative and relaxing to watch. 😄

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

I would wash the stones before adding them to the pond so the water clears up sooner. Just a thought. 😊

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

I think that’s the #1 comment I’ve been getting on this video 😆 I think I had worked myself almost to the point of grumpy-tired when I decided to not do any pre-rinsing. But, really, this type of ground level pool is going to get a certain amount of soil washed into it anyway. It worked out fine. And saved me some grumpiness 🙂 Thanks for watching and commenting! I appreciate it.

Javanese culture in Indonesia understands that if we are friends with nature then nature will give us a lot of goodness, success for "Warbler......." ....Java Central, Indonesia, watch this video

@TheMurlocKeeper

3 ай бұрын

Yeah, I too, don't understand the people who don't want anything to do with nature. Maybe the don't have souls? I consider them some sort of inhuman creatures. I think I would pine away and die if I couldn't have some connection with nature every day. It's just....natural!

I love this video, came out amazing looks totally natural

@WarblerRidge

7 күн бұрын

Thank you!

wash pebbles/rocks before putting in pond... much less work

Very beautiful. I too am a birder. Last year in Alberta Canada, it was so dry I took some tarp and made a kind of river and filled with bricks and water and the birds were in heaven. Thank you for your videos they are very inspiring. I will send some more Robins your way.

@WarblerRidge

23 күн бұрын

Good idea with the tarp! And thanks for the Robins 🙂 I’ll be watching for them

Just a tip: remember that if the pond is in full sunlight, the rocks and water can get very hot.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Yep. A full sun location is not the best option for several reasons. You’re more apt to have algae problems and the water will evaporate more quickly. Plus, any water intended for birds to bathe in should have trees or shrubs nearby to give them a safe place to dry off. The fact that the water is recirculating and that the pump pulls the water through the bed of stones to a level of around 6 to 8 inches below ground level does have some cooling effect, though.

Definitely would have rinsed out the rocks before putting them in 👍❤

@WarblerRidge

13 күн бұрын

That seems to be the consensus. 😄 All I can say is I was getting worn out and letting the hose run to clear the water was easier than rinsing a bunch of rocks.

I have seen dozens of videos but yours is by far the best. I have small area with a bird bathe but after seeing the vid am going to incorporate it into the space.

@WarblerRidge

3 ай бұрын

Thank you and good luck with your bird pond. Make sure you read my note in the video description about using underlayment under the liner. I skipped that step and ended up with a leak. Rebuilt, a little bigger this time - but still small, with underlayment, and everything is doing great so far. These are really perfect for small spaces.

Using the berry box is pure genius! I’ve made a few water features and what pure joy to watch the birds and wildlife enjoy it. Thanks for sharing 🎉

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Thanks :-) Who knew that berry boxes are actually mini pond pump vaults in disguise? 😄

Nice job, both with this project and sharing your experience making water features for wildlife. I've been enjoying your Sunday Morning Birds for some time and was inspired to take up a DIY project. There is a small pond. Storm water drains into it through a shrubby swale. It is too far to use AC power, so I found a solar powered pump to supply the swale. I will need to haul the pump in before freeze up. The site is visible from a few windows in the house. I'm keeping a list of bird species that visit to bathe and drink, great fun! Many thanks for your videos and commentary.

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

Yay! I love that you were inspired to make a water feature for your birds! There are so many different ways to make it work. it’s kind of addictive, lol. I’m mulling over ideas for a redo of one that’s located next to my main bird pond/creek. Thanks for watching and happy birding!

I was looking for a simple easy diy water hole video, this one will do 👍🏻 I will add underlayment. I am in the Sonoran desert where it gets to 110, 115 F so very hot, i will share this little pond trying to keep water from getting too hot. Thank you

@WarblerRidge

23 күн бұрын

That’s hot! Good luck with your project. I hope it works for you. You will have a lot of evaporation. You may need to make you pool larger. If you make it deeper, the water may get cooled some when it’s drawn through the deeper, cooler layer.

Nice! We used to have a nice 2-level Koi pond (they even had babies!) and I miss it so much. They loved coming to the surface and snacking on the Swiss Chard leaves. Eventually, we had what I think was a Heron that continually raided the pond. I'd go out and chase it away but it would circle back after a little while and get right back in the little pond.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

That pond sounds wonderful. I’m sorry the bird got all your fish. I had a small goldfish pond at my previous home but there are so many raccoons and other critters here, I decided not to try a fish pond.

Amazing job 💯. Thanks 👍

Just beautiful...love it!!

Thank you so much for the inspiration.

great video and update! Thanks!

@WarblerRidge

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Thank you for sharing Great job!

Will be working on one next spring. Thanks!

I am totally doing this! So glad I came across this video! Thank you.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Yay! Every yard needs a tiny bird pond 🙂

Lovely ❤

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Thank you 🙂

Thank you so much for sharing. I know it took lots of time to make this video and I appreciate it so much. I’m definitely going to try it!!

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

I did discover that it’s easier to make videos of birds than it is to make videos of myself doing something 😂 Let me know how it works for you. I hope it’s a little bird magnet!

Thanks

Excellent 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Thank you for sharing! Awesome idea :)

Really beautiful!

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Thank you! 😊

My neighbors feral cat colony would love for me to install a little bird pond like this!

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Ergh. Definitely not a good option with a bunch of cats around

@Mrs.TJTaylor

Ай бұрын

@@WarblerRidge I keep my birdbaths up high, under the cover of trees and on my deck where the cats can’t go. So far, so good. But earlier this year I lost a male Cardinal to them. I love cats, in general, but I am very angry at my neighbors who allow the cats to breed out of control. So irresponsible.

@moomoo3031

Ай бұрын

@@Mrs.TJTaylor trap them yourself and get them spayed!

@socalgal714

Ай бұрын

I have that problem too. The lady behind us is a hoarder and she's been in trouble with animal control for many years. It's a real problem. Not only for the birds, but they use my flower beds as a community cat box 😡

@Mrs.TJTaylor

Ай бұрын

@@socalgal714 I feel for you. It’s a serious problem. The stench, and fleas and flys and the poor sickly cats too. These hoarders think they’re doing a good thing but they only create misery for everyone and every thing. I haven’t seen a squirrel or a chipmunk here for years.

Perfect! I have a little pond liner and other materials left over from building my larger pond. Will make one of these.

It’s gorgeous! Great job.

@WarblerRidge

8 ай бұрын

Thank you! 😊

That is adorable and beautiful. I love birds.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

They are truly wonderful creatures. Thanks for watching!

Thank you for this. I have all the equipment needed but have just been fixed on the idea of a bowl fountain. This helps me think of something more natural is possible. I’m going to give it a go and hopefully it’ll be as beautiful as yours. Another thing, I have a solar fountain so I hope it works. Yours is beautiful. ✌🏻🤍🤞

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Solar fountains tend to not be as powerful as the plug in types. The main question will be if it has enough power to lift the water from the bottom of the pool basin to your outfall. Maybe test that out before you bury the pump. You could also try using a more accessible pump container like the plastic coffee tub I used for my woodland stream. That would make swapping out the pump easier if you’re not happy with the solar one. Good luck!

Nice

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Thank you

Looks very natural, great for other animals and insects too

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

The chipmunks and squirrels visit regularly :-)

Excellent video and very informative!

@WarblerRidge

5 ай бұрын

Thank you 🙂

Well done it's just great! Anything to attract wildlife is fantastic in my book. Thank you so much for making and sharing this video. I love it!!

@WarblerRidge

15 күн бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you so much for this! I am moving to a new house soon with a large flat "tabula rasa" garden. I had thought about a water feature, but it seemed daunting (I'm 74). But this looks doable.

@WarblerRidge

23 күн бұрын

Glad it was helpful! Good luck with your project and your new home

Very nice.

@WarblerRidge

16 күн бұрын

Thank you!

Great video! I would love to build something like this. The squirrel at the end made me smile. 😊

@WarblerRidge

2 ай бұрын

You should build one! Your birds will thank you! 🙂

❤

Thank you for your video. Wonderfully created, easy to follow, and thorough. Thanks!

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Thank you for the kind words!

Thank you! Hubby and I will do something like this for my birthday. Just what I wanted!

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

What a great birthday present! I hope it brings in lots of birds for you.

I love the way you kept the nature look with the tree branches and wood. This is a nice idea. Thank You for sharing.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Thank you. I think the birds are more comfortable with something that looks like their natural habitat. Plus the branches and wood give the birds somewhere to perch while they decided whether or not it’s safe to get in the water.

I’m building this thank you…I already have a koi pond

Creative and beautiful work. You reminded me to not overthink projects and be creative. The video had excellent production quality too.

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

Absolutely💯beautiful 😍❤♥

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Awesome. I want to upgrade for my feathered friends and would like to make it more sanitary. Two things I've learned is good sized pieces of copper in a typical birdbath have a sanitizing effect. The second thing is putting live aquatic plants in the pond will process bird waste and keep it clean but it's important to not allow leaves and dead matter to decompose. Think pool cleaning.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

I didn’t know that about the copper. That’s interesting. I have a couple concrete bird baths and I’ve found that scrubbing them daily with a nylon bristle brush and refilling with fresh water does the trick for me. And plants in the pond are a good idea. When I built my “woodland stream” pond, I added some plants along the edge. Since these little ponds/pools benefit from natural filtration via the pebble bed the water passes through, I think fish pond - without fish 🙂

Love this! Thanks for taking the time to put it together. Will definitely try this out at some point. ❤

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! And I hope it works for you

You gave perfect step by step instructions that anyone can do! Wish I would have seen this when I set my first pond up. Now I'm going to do a bird bath with the information on your site. Thank you. The wildlife in my yard will love it.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful and good luck with your project!

Lovely video: peaceful and calming. Thanks for the content. I really want to try this!

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Go for it! Your birds will thank you

You have an absolutely beautiful yard setting. Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve wondered how to do it. Guess what I’m doing after the ground thaws?!? (The Hungry Little Birdie)

Me, too :)

I don’t know why this showed up on my feed, but I’m thankful it did. I was just thinking I got two low spots on my property that I wanted to make into little pools for wildlife. Thank you!

@WarblerRidge

8 күн бұрын

Good luck with your projects!

@rebecca55371

7 күн бұрын

@@WarblerRidge Thank you. 😊

I made this. Well in the process. Added the rocks inside but still have the outside to do. I love this! TY! I wish I would have seen about the underlay before I started but I should be fine. All sand

@WarblerRidge

14 күн бұрын

Yay! I hope your little pond brings you and your birds lots of enjoyment. You probably will be fine without the underlayment. I have not only lots of rocks but also lots of burrowing chipmunks. Both are hazardous to pond liners 😀 And replacing my liner wasn’t all that difficult because the pool is so small. Enjoy your birds!

@gaylewilhelm9706

14 күн бұрын

@@WarblerRidge ❣

What a lovely little pond! Thank you so much, for sharing how you made yours. I even think I can manage to make something similiar, from watching your video. Thank you again!

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

I had fun building it. I hope it turns out well for you and that your birds enjoy it 🙂

Wow I am glaed this popped up into my suggested videos so I could learn how you constructed your bird pond. This will definitely be something fun I try to make for us! Thank you kindly

@WarblerRidge

10 ай бұрын

I’ve had so much fun trying out different water feature designs for the birds. This little one has ended up being a favorite spot for the woodpeckers. They almost never visit the larger bird pond but they love this little spot. Good luck with yours and have fun :-)

Beautiful and useful. 🙂🙃🙂They will love it.

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

The birds are enjoying it so far!

@BirdsNation

Жыл бұрын

@@WarblerRidge If I were a little bird, I would be there, too. 😄😆

I keep bowls of water out for the animals and birds. This is a much better looking idea! Thank you.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

I’m sure the water bowls are appreciated!

Built something very similar which feeds my fish pond, shallow water with a deeper end for plants and frogs etc leading into a small waterfall. Birds love it…

@WarblerRidge

11 ай бұрын

Great idea to tie it into a fish pond!

Excellent and affordable! You said to keep it shallow. What’s a good depth? 1 or 2 inches?

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

I’d say one inch max.

Thank you for sharing! I actually have a small pond in my courtyard with my favorite water plants like cattails, which is a good nesting material. I needed an overflow for the pond and wasn't sure what to do, this will do nicely. I can use a bridge to separate them and the birds will have the best of both worlds. I was thinking of using your overflow as a secondary overflow but primarily as a dirt bath area which is also vital for the birds in feather maintenance. Again, thanks.

@WarblerRidge

8 ай бұрын

It sounds like you’re creating an excellent habitat for the birds! I’ve also been experimenting with a pumpless “puddle” for the birds that’s just a depression with a pond liner. I’m trying to work a mud/sand beach into the design. Something like that might work for your overflow area too.

Very nice! This gives me an idea to do that with what I've already got. I'm using a large round (heavy) thing for my birdbath on top of a table frame. I don't know what it's made of, but it's heavy and thick. I do have some rocks in it, but not enough. I'm going to get some river rocks and put them inside and around the edges of it. The birds already come to it, but I want to make it look more natural like you did.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

That sounds nice. Is it deep enough to put a little pump in there so you get some water movement? Maybe a little bubbler in the middle? The sound of moving water really attracts the birds.

liu gang 💪🏻

Great video. Thank you.

@WarblerRidge

2 күн бұрын

Thanks for watching!

the little pond is lovely. I have used the same water pump in my bird bath and it gets pretty clogged with debris fairly often. How often do you have to dig up and clean out your pump? thanks for sharing!

@WarblerRidge

10 ай бұрын

Thank you. It’s been running for about eight months now without clogging. The layer of rocks works as a filter so there shouldn’t be much gunk getting to the pump. And the berry box should keep any small stones from getting into the pump and jamming the impeller.

It seems as though everyone in Tennessee has a big, wooded lot. My house in central IL is about 10 feet away from the neighbor's fence on 3 sides. I can't do anything like this on my own property because the neighnors don't like wildlife being attracted to the neighborhood. You've been blessed with a beautiful property and the freedom to do with it what you choose. I thoroughly enjoyed your project, though!

@WarblerRidge

3 ай бұрын

Tennessee does still have a lot of wild open spaces. The hilly terrain in the eastern part of the state, where I am, keeps things from being developed too densely. But we do have close together housing developments with lots of restrictions here too. I love being out in the countryside where there are lots of birds and other wildlife, but there are tradeoffs - like a 30 minute drive to the grocery store 😄. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment, I appreciate it!

@TheMurlocKeeper

3 ай бұрын

Sounds like you just need a higher fence, lol! Screw what your neighbours want or don't want! If they "don't like wildlife being attracted to the neighbourhood" then I personally would go out of my way to plant nut trees and fruit trees and berries of all sorts, AND build a lovely big, rambling water feature to attract ALL the wildlife from everywhere, lol! Screw those guys! A connection with nature is food for the soul! Don't let other people's stupid demands hold you back. Be a rebel! Plant stuff and create water features! Build your paradise! :D

That's great I have all that already except getting a solar pump/ fountain live in desert so I have to keep water going in it

@WarblerRidge

9 ай бұрын

If you’re in the desert, I’d recommend making yours larger than what I did so it can hold more water. Between water loss from bird splashing and evaporation, I’ve been having to add water to mine every day. I imagine the evaporation is much worse where you are.

@anneyrose

9 ай бұрын

@@WarblerRidge yes i made deeper with big flat rocks in it

It’s why I sink a 20 gallon container under ground that is covered but allows returning water to drip through. It is still a project in the making. Would add photo if I knew how!

@WarblerRidge

8 ай бұрын

That sounds like a neat idea

This is so lovely and I cant wait to create something very similar in my rather wild-garden yard here in central Texas! Question: I couldn't quite figure out the purpose for the smaller hole that you dug near the pond. How is it used and how deep is it? I very much like the little water fall you created and wish you had shown how you created that as well with stacking the various rocks just so it spills just as you like. Thanks again and I look forward to watching your videos and getting out the pick axe!

@WarblerRidge

11 ай бұрын

The little upper pool isn’t really necessary but since the bathing pool area is so small on this, I was trying to get the the outfall rocks out of the way and keep more area open for the birds to use. But I actually modified mine recently to move the outfall to drop right into the main pool because I was having algae problems and wanted more water motion. It seems to have helped. All I did to create the water fall is put a flat rock under where the water comes out and then used a few more stones to cover up the water tube so it doesn’t show. Good luck with your project! I hope it brings in lots of birds :-)

If there are ways to solar power this, that’d be great. I think we can make it work plugged in, but solar would be a good next step.

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

There are small solar powered pumps that would probably work but they’re only going to run when there’s good sunshine available. I’ve experimented some with solar pumps and they go on and off on cloudy days.

I need something similar for animals' drink off in the yard

I've been thinking I'm getting too old to put in a water feature, but this really looks doable, and worthwhile for the bird watching, thanks for posting!. One thing I thought about but have never tried, there are pumps that can run on a low-voltage system like your outdoor pathway lights. Since I haven't tried it, I can't vouch for it, but it would be nice not having to run a separate 120v circuit to a removed spot in the yard...anyone ever use one of those?

@lauriebarnaby7132

18 күн бұрын

I have successfully used a solar powered pump ( 6.5 W ) for my small pond. Your never too old !😄

@WarblerRidge

16 күн бұрын

I didn’t know that sort of pump existed. I’ll have to look into that. I didn’t extend a circuit into the yard for this project or my larger bird pond. They are both fairly close to the house and I just run them off extension cords. Probably not the best solution but it works for me.

Awesome job n thanks for sharing!! How large/deep should upper pool be approximately?

@WarblerRidge

9 ай бұрын

The upper pool isn’t absolutely necessary. But I think it adds some motion and extra water sound. Mine is small. Maybe 6 inches by inches. And just a couple inches deep. Deep enough to hold a base layer of pebbles to cover the liner.

Love this! I wonder how deep you dug and for underlayment will you use sand? I would have washed the rocks to keep the water clean but looks like it cleared up on its own. Again, thank you for a great video!

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Hi and thank you for the kind words. I dug about 8 inches. I skipped underlayment when I built this and ended up with a leak after about six months (see my pinned comment). When I rebuilt this as a slightly larger water feature with a little stream (look for the woodland steam or DIY habitat projects videos on my channel), I used a geotextile underlayment fabric. It’s doing well so far. My experience with washing rock is that it’s not much fun, lol. And the native soil that was mixed with the pebbles I used for this project probably gave the biological filtration process a kick-start. The microorganisms help clean and filter the water. If you do a search in fish pond bog filters, there are some good videos on this type of natural filtration. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Wonderful job. I would like to ask you question. Can I use a solar system with this type of pond? I don't have electricity outside. Thank you for answer.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Solar pumps are usually less powerful than the ones you plug in. It may now have enough power to pump the water from the bottom of the basin to the outfall. Also, the solar pump will stop working it is very cloudy or if it is shaded by trees, and the best place for these ponds is in at least partial shade. Look for a pump that has a long cord between the pump and the solar panel so you can locate the panel in a spot with the most consistent sunlight. Good luck. I hope it works for you!

Curious to know if anyone in colder climates has made one and how the pump holds up through the winter

@WarblerRidge

9 күн бұрын

Hi. If you’re in an area where things freeze solid over the winter, you may want to go with something that has a more easily accessible pump so you can remove it for the winter. I show a variation on this that I did using a plastic coffee tub to hold the pump. The top of the tub is just below the surface of the gravel so easy to access. I show that in the woodland stream section of my DIY habitat projects video.

@PERL60

9 күн бұрын

Thanks I saw that video… I know I currently have a fountain that I completely remove the pump from for winter and bring it indoors

Thanks for this! I’m working on one now. What kind of camera do you keep there?

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

Yay! I love that people are building these. I hope it brings in lots of birds for you. I use a GoPro so I can get high quality video to use on KZread. I also use Blink Outdoor cameras to monitor activity at my bird ponds. The Blink cameras are motion activated and plenty good enough quality to see what birds are visiting your pond. They also record at night, which is great for seeing the occasional nocturnal visitor. My GoPros are not motion activated. I set them out and let them record for a few hours and then review to see what I get. Much more time consuming. But the video quality from those is great and, because they’re waterproof, I can set them up really close to the birds and not worry about them getting splashed. Good luck with your bird pond!

@valeriebarfield1635

Жыл бұрын

@@WarblerRidge Thank you!

Very nice looking! This might be a dumb question, but how do you clean & freshen the water? I ask because birds bathe & usually poop in the water. I try my best to keep them healthy:-)

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

Not a dumb question. By burying the pump under a bed of gravel, you create a biological filter that helps clean the water (similar to the bog filters used in larger fish ponds). Also, because this is such as small water feature, it loses quite a bit of water to splashing and evaporation daily, so there is fresh water being added regularly. When I’m adding water, I also use the spray from the garden hose to rinse off the stones and let the dirty water flow out for the pond, just like I showed when I washed the dirt out of the pond when I set it up. Thanks for watching!

@lindawilson4625

Ай бұрын

@@WarblerRidge THANKS! Makes sense. I've never had a pond. Only bird baths. Maybe I'll give it a try :-) Have a good evening!

just wonderful! Can you keep it going in the winter months? Or do you unplug the pump?

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

That’s a good question! And I’m not sure. Last time I built a mini pond like this, with the pump buried under a layer of stone, I lived on the Virginia coast where the winters were pretty mild. I’m just going to keep an eye on it and turn it off if the water freezes. Our weather is all over the place here in TN, so I’m hoping to be able to run in on warmer days.

@meganrollins595

Жыл бұрын

@@WarblerRidge thanks for the quick reply! I live in central VA, so I'm in the same boat. One other question, probably stupid, but the smaller hole for the overflow, is that a bit higher than the adjacent main pool, or are they the same level?

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

@@meganrollins595 a couple inches higher. That way the water flows down and creates a little bit of motion in the lower pool. Also, something I didn’t address in the video the spot where the water comes out of the tubing should be positioned so that the water drops down into the pool and makes some noise. It doesn’t have to be much, but the trickling water sound is what attracts the birds. For mine, I had the water flow out over a flat rock and it drips into the water from there.

A nice natural looking pond, but doesn't the flowing water stop you from getting reflections................

@WarblerRidge

2 ай бұрын

Probably. I never really thought about that. Although, I remember catching some nice reflections when the lighting was right. But this was really intended as a project for people who want to improve their backyard bird habitat, although it does also provide a good opportunity to film the birds.

@cerealkiller4248

2 ай бұрын

It's a nice looking pond to have as a backdrop for sure 👍

Would the water need to be treated somehow every so often to keep it clean?? This is a wonderful idea!

@WarblerRidge

21 күн бұрын

Between evaporation and splashing birds, this loses enough water that you’ll need to top it off with fresh water at least a couple times a week. I add water daily during the summer. And when I refill, I run some extra from the garden hose to flush out any dirt that accumulates.

@kerrihiggins2106

9 күн бұрын

@@WarblerRidge do you have to clean the rocks or do any maintenance other than filling and topping off?

@WarblerRidge

9 күн бұрын

@@kerrihiggins2106 Every now and then when I’m topping off the water, I give the stones a rinse with a jet of water from the garden hose and then add enough fresh water that the dirt stuff flows out of the pool.

Do you let the pond freeze over in the winter? I’m excited to build my own pond in the spring, but the weather outside has me wondering. ☺️ Thanks for posting this video.

@WarblerRidge

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, I don’t do anything to heat it. It doesn’t stay all that cold here in Tennessee, so mostly I get surface ice that melts during the day. When we have weather that stays below freezing, I just unplug the pump until it warms back up.

@eunicesill9149

5 ай бұрын

@@WarblerRidgeThank you! I’m in Virginia’s Ridge and Valley, so I get a little freezing weather. 😊

This is a great video. Thank you. How do you plan to 1. Clean it 2. Keep algae from growing in it? Thanks!

@WarblerRidge

8 ай бұрын

Thank you! The stone bed that the pump is buried in serves as a filter for the water. It’s the same concept used for bio filters in fish ponds. Plus, it gets topped off with fresh water just about daily because birds splash out quite a bit of water and they take a lot out with them on their wet feathers. So it’s not the same water recirculating indefinitely. I did sometimes have dirt wash in during rain storms. I washed that out with the garden hose. The pond is located in a spot that’s shady for most of the day. I did get some algae this spring before the trees leafed out but I just flushed it out when I topped off the pond. If you’re thinking about building one of these please see my note in the description about using underlayment to protect the liner. The mini pond worked great for almost a year and then developed a leak. I just recently replaced in with a slightly larger water feature that includes a mini stream. I’m working on a video that shows how I set that one up. I included some video about this new “woodland stream” in my most recent Sunday Morning Bird Show video.

@hollymccoy9638

8 ай бұрын

@@WarblerRidge Thank you so much for your quick response. I have a fair amount of algae buildup in my extremely small home-made fountain, but it doesn't have rocks, etc. Your ideas are great. Thanks for the reminder about the under liner.

How does it stay clean? Keep from algae. Water conditioner?

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

A combination of partial water changes and biological filtration. These lose water to evaporation and birds splashing, so it will need to have some fresh water added at least once a week. I add water daily if we’re not getting rain. It’s amazing how much water wet birds carry away with them 😄. Also, the bed of pebbles that the filter is buried under works as a biological filter. Natural organisms build up over time and help clean with water. There are some good videos out there about bog filters for ponds. I get some algae in the spring and have been able to manage it by spraying it out with a garden hose. This is in the shade once the trees leaf out, so algae isn’t a problem during the summer. I don’t add anything to the water.

@ONETRUTH315

Ай бұрын

@@WarblerRidge Thank you so much for the reply and information. 😃

About how deep is the pond? I’m looking to make my own that’s ideal for birds.

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

About half an inch. I’ve found that most birds prefer shallow water. Similar to a rainwater puddle. One of the nice things about having the pool filled with a deep layer of pebbles is that you can move them around to vary the water depth. I like to have some very shallow spots around the edges and a deeper area in the center. Good luck with your project!

@samh2630

Ай бұрын

@@WarblerRidge Thanks so much!

How do you clean the filter and how often?

@WarblerRidge

Ай бұрын

The mini bird pond doesn’t use a traditional filter, so there’s nothing to clean. The beneficial organisms in the bed of pebbles that the pump is buried under provide biological filtration.

Put an enexpensive solar pump in a bird bath!!

Is this the same pond as your other one with all the visitors?

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

This is a smaller pond that I just built recently. It is doing well, though and I have included clips from this pond in recent videos. The other bird pond is larger, with a couple bathing pools as well as some flat rocks that water flows over. It has an open water reservoir and a waterfall outlet. I built that one before I started doing videos, so I don’t have a video about how it was made.

@caraba1961

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! I thought it looked different but wasn't sure. I would love to see a view of the larger pond!

@WarblerRidge

Жыл бұрын

There are wider views in a few videos. Take a look at the Oct 16 Sunday video. Around 4:20. That shows pretty much everything except for the reservoir that hold the pump (and that’s just a lined hole filled with water) I keep meaning to do a video about how that one is set up but just getting the weekly Sunday video done and posted keeps me busy :-)