The main reason to build a new reflection pool was to watch the Tawny Owls, Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk having a bath, which id captured a few times on a trip camera. Using our new DSLR trip cameras we can get close and more intimate shots, the pool is great for remote camera traping.
I just finished building it today the 25th August in the pine woodland, needles aside its worked out really well. I designed it to sit at chest height to cut down on dust and rodent activity, and be in control of every angle. The whole structure is made from old scaffold poles and boards. Making one similar at ground level shouldn't be a problem, if your lucky and dont get rats burrowing underneath it like the old one which eventually got gnawed through.
There's no reason to build huge reflection pools even a 1 metre square pool is great for camera traping. This ones approx 1.2 x 1.5m, and 65mm at the deep end, the shallow end is approx 10mm to allow them to have a good soak or just a splash.
Preparation is key, I dug down through the pine needles till i hit the firm soil then dropt in full size breeze blocks at each corner, then built the frame up. Next i placed the scaffold boards down central to the hide (if and when its successful well modify the hide). Next i built a frame of 50x63mm treated timber sections to support the pond liner, lifting the scaffold boards at the far end to get a slope for the shallow bathing end.
Around the frame id allowed a trough for compost, to grow ferns, plants etc, covering in bark to keep it from drying out and protecting the pond liner, this also allows the moss to stay moist.
The water system is fed from the 3m square woodland hide roof, one down pipe feeds the trough keeping the wild flowers, ferns and moss damp. The other side feeds the pool, which overflows into a old plastic dustbin this is then filtered, and using a watering can i can keep it all topped up through this crazy hot weather, when we get our normal weather back it should all run its self, clean water for all the woodlands nature, and the rats.
Id deliberately left two of the deep end upright poles to extend further to attach overhead flash and motion sensor mounts. The finished pool can be photographed from all three sides (all four if you want a hide in the background). Next job, the props, nice mossy logs, bark, weird and interesting bits of wood, rotting and full of insects to give the birds something to nibble on, they love exploring the nooks and crannies for spiders.
Now its time to let it settle down and get established. Im really looking forward to see whats possible from such a simple setup.
There nothing like watching birds have a bath ;)
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