DEATH! DEATH! (Hanging birdbath)

Member Name: sayaad

Product:	Hanging birdbath
Date:	17/02/04 (2359 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good for watching little birdies, Inexpensive

Disadvantages: Can be fatal if mixed with glycerin

My sweet old gran likes watching birds. So, I made a hanging birdbath for her to attract more birds for her to observe.

Why A Hanging Birdbath

When most people think of birdbaths, they think of those kinds that are on pedestals. However, while this type of birdbath is traditional and very pretty looking, they are not the best ones for birds. They are generally too deep for the birdies to enjoy. Birdies prefer shallow pools of water. Secondly, this type of birdbath can be difficult to keep clean. The bigger the birdbath, the more stagnant the water and the more sediment and algae can form and attach itself to the walls of the bath. Thirdly, dogs can get into these birdbaths easily and disturb the little birdies.

The Construction

So, in making my birdbath for my gran, I took a dustbin lid, drilled a hole on two sides, and ran a chain through the holes. I then hung the birdbath contraption to the limb of a tree outside my gran's window so that she could have a good view of the birdies. Next, I filled the dustbin lid with water and it was ready for use. Then, I took a two liter plastic soda bottle and put an itsy bitsy hole in it with a pin. I filled the plastic soda bottle with water and then wrapped a piece of string around the top of it. I then hung the plastic soda bottle slightly above the birdbath so that it would slowly drip water out onto the dustbin.

The Reasons Behind The Constrution

The short edge of the dustbin lid allows the birdies a small perch to sit and they can then wade into the water if they so choose. By placing the birdbath under the tree, it will have shade during the warmer months which will slow the evaporation of the water and keep it fresh. Also, the birdies prefer a shady location for it provides them with some privacy from other animals, but not fro
m my gran! She likes to watch the naked birdies getting wet and wild! The dripping water from the soda bottle will attract the birdies' attention and also ensures that the water will remain fresh by moving it about.

Maintaining My Creation

I stop by my gran's a couple of times a week to refill the soda bottle for her. I try to stop by every day, but I don't always get the opportunity because of my work. I also make sure to keep the dustbin lid full of water and clean it every few days. It is important that the water remains fresh and no scummy algae forms that can detract from the attractiveness of the birdbath.

Birdbath of Death

Unfortunately, something terrible happened last month at my gran's birdbath. My gran was worried that the little birdies wouldn't be able to get their water as it might freeze during the winter and asked me if there was something we could do to prevent this. I thought about buying a hair dryer and hanging it just next to the birdbath to blow warm air on the water. However, that seemed to be a tad bit dangerous as the water and electricity could give the birdies a bit of a shock!

My gran then showed me an article in one of her magazines about using glycerin as a birdbath antifeeze. I called up my good friend Noel who works in chemicals and asked him about it. He said that he could procure some glycerin for me and told me that he would help me to get the right concentration in the birdbath.

A few days later, Noel and I were at my gran's with the glycerin. Noel told me that we would need a mixture of 25% glycerin in order to keep the water from dropping below the freezing point. Noel measured out and mixed the appropriate amount of glycerin into the birdbath. We then left my gran's, satisfied that we had done a good job.

Two days later, I
; received a frantic call from my gran. She was crying into the phone and kept saying over and over "death, death, Sayaad, death!" I rushed over to my gran's and she directed me to the window that looks out onto the birdbath. I looked out the window and was astonished by what I saw - at least a dozen dead birdies!

Apparently, glycerin can be toxic to birdies if they drink too much of it. It can also mat the birdies' feathers and thus make them susceptible to the cold and freezing. So, when my friend Noel and I thought that we were helping my gran, we were actually creating a birdbath of death for her little feathered friends.

I consoled my gran and told her that everything would be okay. I called up my girlfriend and told her what happened. My girlfriend then told me of a lovely plan to put things right. As I consoled my gran, my girlfriend picked up the birdies outside. She then plucked, cleaned and deboned the birdies and put their little meat into a stew. We then surprised my gran with the stew and she was oh so very pleased! The stew was quite yummy and it made my gran happy to know that her birdie friends had not died in vain.

My girlfriend also made little hand puppets out of the feathers for my gran and she and I put on a little play to make my gran smile. We went into my gran's bath tub and filled it with water, we then got naked (except for the feathered hand puppets) and began to splash each other with water, just as the little birdies did. My gran enjoyed this very much and clapped as we rubbed each other with water and feathers and cooed to each other. She especially liked it when my girlfriend played at "finding the worm." I liked it when my girlfriend found the worm and tugged at with her beak. My girlfriend is so smart to think of ways to cheer up my gran. My girlfriend is the best girlfr
iend in the world!

I have now cleaned out my gran's birdbath and will not use glycerin ever again in it! If the water freezes, the water freezes, but at least the birdies will not be poisoned and die. Although, they were quite tasty!

Thank you all for reading and best wishes!

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