This was the first water habitat we created when we got here, almost 2 years ago.
But the growth of trees and shrubs around it has made it harder and harder to see, and therefore harder to see the birds that visit.
Time to move….
The original water habitat has a long and interesting story.
It is placed in the stump of a old dead Bush Lemon – a naturalised citrus tree.
There had been three Bush Lemon trees on the north side of the Terraces, and they had been in place for a long time. I have pictures of them in 2009(below).
They were about 3-4 metres tall and a couple of metres wide and formed a bit of a shade hedge on the North side.
During the time that the property was rented(2009-2014) we believe the trees were poisoned and killed.
In the picture of the stairs you can see the large Bush lemons on the left side.
The picture below shows what was left when we arrived.
Three dead Bush Lemons still in situ, with branches and spines.
We very carefully cut them down and disposed of them, leaving the dead stumps in place.
One of those dead stumps was used as the base for the original water habitat.
To support the new water habitat we used one of our ~300mm treated posts that we had had stored for the last 12 mths or so. It was the perfect size, shape and length to fit in the terrace and support the dish.
We dug a ~600m deep hole, and buried the end of the treated post, leaving about 500mm clear of the ground.
With a hole cutting saw we cut out a central hole in the top of the post. This will allow the base of the dish to sit ‘in’ the stump and keep it stable.
A bit of fresh mulch and some new water and we were done.
The new water habitat was a huge hit with the local bird life.
We had around 20 birds fighting over the bath by the early afternoon and it continues to be popular.
Keep an eye out for this month’s Shots of the Month, there should be some good ones.
Lots of people ask us “How do you attract native birds to your backyard?” One of the simplest answers is water. Build it… and they will come.
Dave
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