Date: 6/13/26 2:39 pm From: Margy Terpstra <0000049583b18162-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Bubbler Data near Smithville Lake and Construction Suggestions....
Hi Terry,
What fun you’ve had! I know that special feeling of discovering new species that stop in to drink or splash. Our bubbler has been in since the fall of 2000, nearly 26 years now. OMG, really? We’ve been able to document 127 species so far, including 35 warblers that have visited the bubbler.
I see Abigail just sent our link to the Gateway Gardener video of building a pondless bubbler for Robert’s yard. Thanks, Abigail!!
Here is a page from my blog with links to take you to all of the Bubbler ideas we’ve had, maintenance, too:
Thanks for some solar inspiration, Terry (and Mike)!
Good birding and bubbling, all!
Margy Terpstra
<ladybirdterp...>
> On Jun 13, 2026, at 1:37 PM, Terry Miller <000009a0b0d4f681-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
> Greetings fellow birders,
>
> I am making this post as I believe many of you, after reading it, will be interested in setting up your own bubbler?
>
> Last Spring (2025), my good friend and colleague Mike Niles wanted to put up a solar bubbler along a tree line in the field behind my house. I readily agreed and my property borders Smithville Lake in Clinton Co., MO. Being solar, it was only having water flow for 3-5 hours a day if it wasn’t overly cloudy. We have it operating from early Spring until October but occasionally it was not operating for various reasons. We set a game camera up to take short 30 second videos. And we have hundreds of videos!
>
> To date we have videos of 41 species of birds…and a few squirrels and raccoons. I will list them after comments by Mike Niles on some aspects of our bubbler set-up:
>
> Bubbler/Bath is an old utility sink (donated and I built a 2 x 4 frame to hold it up) with a metal wire “shelf” over the opening. Then added a bathing dish, a solar pump (keep under 120 gph, only want a trickle of water – DEPENDS on how high you are pumping the water up) and rocks. The gurgling occurs especially as the water overflows the bathing dish/pan into the sink below. I like the “utility sink” because it has a plug for EASY water changing every 2-3 weeks! (If you have access to electricity, a non-solar pump would be great because the solar pump is only running about 3 – 4 hours per day)
>
> I have uploaded 10 videos to Flickr and, if you just want to look at a 3-4, I would suggest the ones titled:
>
> Indigo bunting, Nashville Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush
>
> Rose-breasted Grosbeak
>
> Wilson’s Warbler taking bath with Am. Goldfinch
>
> *Eastern Phoebe – one of our favorites as we have at least 15 videos of them diving at the water to bathe!
>
> Here is the link to the videos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/190967906@N08/ >
> I hope you enjoyed this post and are encouraged to set up your own bubbler!
>
> The List of 41 Species alphabetically:
>
> 1. American Goldfinch
> 2. American Robin
> 3. Baltimore Oriole
> 4. Black-capped Chickadee
> 5. Blue Grosbeak
> 6. Bluejay
> 7. Brown-headed Cowbird
> 8. Brown Thrasher
> 9. Canada Warbler
> 10. Cedar Waxwing
> 11. Chipping Sparrow
> 12. Dark-eyed Junco
> 13. Eastern Bluebird
> 14. Eastern Phoebe
> 15. Eastern Screech Owl
> 16. Eastern Towhee
> 17. European Starling
> 18. Gray Catbird
> 19. Harris’s Sparrow
> 20. House Finch
> 21. House Sparrow
> 22. Indigo Bunting
> 23. Nashville Warbler
> 24. Northern Cardinal
> 25. Northern Flicker
> 26. Orange-crowned Warbler
> 27. Palm Warbler
> 28. Purple Finch
> 29. Red-winged Blackbird
> 30. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
> 31. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
> 32. Song Sparrow
> 33. Summer Tanager
> 34. Swainson’s Thrush
> 35. Tufted Titmouse
> 36. Red-eyed Vireo
> 37. White-crowned Sparrow
> 38. White-throated Sparrow
> 39. Wilson’s Warbler
> 40. Northern Yellow Warbler
> 41. Yellow-rumped Warbler
>
> Terry L. Miller
> Plattsburg, MO
> <millert832...> <mailto:<millert832...> >
> www.millerstaxidermy.net <http://www.millerstaxidermy.net/> >
> Follow me on Instagram: terryl.miller
>
> "Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made." Romans 1:20
>
> "The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder." G.K. Chesterton
>
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