Stump Baths

I decided to try out the stump, bird bath after reading NWF's Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife. I don't recommend trying to create the entire basin with a chisel though, unless you're really skilled with one. I ended up using a hatchet from Walmart (total cost was under 7$) to create the dimensions I wanted. I only used the chisel to create the sloping sides, making sure to leave them rough and not smooth for ease of climbing in and out.

Here's a picture of a test stump, this one was too small to use as standard bird bath dimensions seem to be 12"L x 3"D. As you can see the stumps I am using are somewhat cracked. I've patched any cracks that are near the basin with silicone sealer sold as safe for aquarium use. It's too soon to see how fast the cracks spread, and I'll also be curious to see if the silicone holds up outdoors where heating and cooling will test its durability. If it works great, if not, I'll stick some kind of a dish inside them and use ideally suited logs next time!