What is it made of? Is it resin or other type of plastic? If it's a plastic, and you use that paint for plastic, I think the ultraviolet in sunlight will make the color fade, or make it eventually peel. Or both. Generally speaking, leaving a container outside where it is likely to fill with water is usually begging for trouble. Water expands when it freezes, and it is very, VERY strong. I would be inclined to continue as you've been doing and put it away or turn it upside down for winter. A long time ago I read this: "You can argue with the laws of physics all you want, but you're gonna lose". Sue

There are as many ways of building a pond or water feature as there are people who build, buy or contract the work out. There are some interesting ponds on the gallery section of this forum but I suggest you check out the Public Library in your area for some in depth research. I have seen some delightful water features that I would love to add to what I have but there are limits to my creative madness such as money, time and physical problems. LOL! Everyone thinks their kind of water feature is the best. If this is mainly for the birds, they require a shallow basin or a flat rock the water can flow over to serve as a bathing area. If it is too fast moving or deep, they can drown. My first pond didn't have a good space for the birds to perch or bathe so they would deliberately set off my motion and heat sensitive water cannon and fly thorough the spray. It was a lot of fun to watch them but they used up a lot of water. You do want to keep the birdseed a fair distance from the water since it would become contaminated very quickly and be high maintenance. I am assuming that is something you wish to avoid. One thing you can look into is a pondless waterfall. It gives the advantage of moving water and the noise that distracts from traffic yet fits well in a small area. The maintenance is low. Basic materials and equipment are a basin of some sort, it can be preformed, a half barrel, or it can be a flexible liner. Something to form a spillway can be made of stacked stones,pots, etc. You will need a pump of the right size and a filtering system to protect the pump. Check out Adam's filter. It is cheap and easy. I made one out of a Tupperware canister once. Then there is tubing to direct the water where you need it. The pump will likely come with attachments to make a fountain or you can buy those separately if that suits your fancy. I don't know how much or little you want to invest but I have seen kits that are very adequate for around $100 at places like Meijer, K-mart, Target, WalMart, Lowes, Home Depot and Menards. I saw some lovely pondless water features that were made from a large pottery jar that sat on rocks that hid the water tank. There are lots of lovely plants to go into your water feature. Some plants like the water lily need more water depth than others but there are some that can be grown in relatively shallow water. Most are going to require lots of light to flower. The Library is going to have lots of books on water garden plants. The name to look for is Helen Nash but there are others who do a good job as well. Container plants around a water feature do very well. Since the books can be expensive, you might want to wait to buy some until you find one you think is worth the price to you. I have several dozen myself, but I am a book fanatic. Sandy

The bees are thirsty. You can't keep them away. Your only option would be to provide several alternate water supplies for the birds. Even pottery or plastic plant saucers, laying on the ground, are something that birds will come to readily. They can be placed in among your plants, but close to a hose for daily rinsing and filling.

I have a fountain without a pump and the birds have never had a problem being attracted to it. Of course, they are in my yard already eating the bird seed. I used to use solar pumps but they cost alot and never lasted very long. Plus it was tedious to keep cleaning the algae and other gunk inside of them. I finally gave up on pumps. Now I just empty out the water and give the bath a quick scrubbing with a brush every day or two. Now if I want to hear the sound of moving water, I play my CD of a babbling brook on my CD player that I keep on my patio. It's also my anti-noisy neighbor strategy.