I do like it. do you really want birds pooping in it though? LOL! I think I would fill it with marbles, looks kinda deep for birds.But I would like it just with marbles and sunlight sparkling through. NICE

That's totally cool. If I remember right, somebody posted a thread before about the Sandhill Cranes some other year, was it you? I'm also glad to hear you are moving to a place with birds already on hand. I don't think I could live anywhere I didn't hear birdsong. Rains here, too although not as warm as they'd predicted for today. They said high sixties but never made it past high fifties. I'm ok with that. It's still wonderful.

Nice looking birdbath Green-go. Min3, the deer scare or shishi odoshi is better explained by viewing it. There are directions online and fountains and kits available. Home D. was selling one some years ago made of resin (to look like bamboo). There are a lot of permutations, and some folks don't even include a rock or block of wood for the end of the pivoting bamboo fill rod to bang against (thus, the "scare"). The fountain w the bang and motion, takes advantage of the abundant bamboo, and the nodes with "walls" along the bamboo shaft, because the fill bamboo piece is arranged on a pivot and is filled by a separate spout (above). When the water level weighs down the pivoting bamboo "hammer," it spills the collected water into the basin or pool, then, when suddenly emptied and weighing less at the spill end, tilts back and the distal/far end of the bamboo pivot tube slams against a rock, making a loud clack that is supposed to scare the deer. So the fountain/deer scare periodically fills and empties. There are directions and videos online. Many people just make a fountain with bamboo, or without even the pivot. Some people want to eliminate the TWACK sound of the far end of the bamboo pivoting fill tube clacking as it suddenly pivots back after emptying and thus weighing less at the forward end (the far end is then relatively lighter). Most use a pump so that water is recirculated. I found mine very relaxing to listen to. It only made a soft slap when emptied. If you live in LA / Hollywood area, bamboo is pretty available, being used for set designs and whatever. If you find bamboo and want to make your own, its best to get bamboo that isn't split (often it's cracked along the long axis). Even if cracked, a material called MarineTex can be used to fill the crack. I don't think I'd count on one keeping deer or any critters away, however. Listen to the variations on the YouTube or Vimeo videos. Cool. I have a bunch of bamboo, but not a lot of free time. Here are some links: Deer Scare Fountain or Shishi Odoshi Very short vid clip; green https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYhn5YiKY5A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqP4qyrSiQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqP4qyrSiQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1qMrKCuYQY Red one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPvumv93eog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AigVsMveSOM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPvumv93eog

I also have a mockingbird that feeds at the mealworm feeder, but what my blues do is wait in the branches above until the mockingbird leaves, then they feed. It took my blues awhile to feed at the feeder, but now they are there a lot. The feeder is hanging on a tree branch near a nesting box, so I will probably have to move it when they start nesting, so that it doesn't attract other birds near the nesting box.