Filming at the heated birdbath

A screenshot of a video of an eastern blue bird and white-throated sparrow at the heated birdbath, captured by the Birdsy camera.

Due to overwhelming demand, I'm sharing how I set up my Birdsy camera at my heated birdbath. This camera provides the livestream on the blog, and I've been sharing standout video clips over on my Instagram and Twitter accounts (an example can be seen below). 

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A post shared by Jen McGuinness 🌼 Frau Zinnie (@frau_zinnie)

This is not a sponsored post and does not contain affiliate links. 

The main parts

I purchased the Birdsy camera in July 2021 ($185 USD). I tried mounting it in several locations at my bird feeders, but decided the best view was at my birdbath.

The birdbath is a heated one (which I reviewed originally back in 2014 when I received it as a Christmas gift). It is an Erva (D14BH) and I unplug it when the temperatures are above freezing. It came with a ground birdbath base, which I prop up on bricks to raise it slightly off the ground. There are many heated birdbaths available, so look for one that will be fit your setup. 

Note: When refreshing the water, use lukewarm temperature water (not extremely hot or cold). It can mess with the heating element inside that keeps the water unfrozen.

Accessories to make the magic happen

To mount the camera, I took a spare PVC pipe (left over from my unused supplies when I was creating the projects for "Micro Food Gardening"). I used a rubber mallet to secure it into the ground (when the ground was not frozen). 

I purchased a camera extension arm and super clamp from B&H Photo to attach and mount the camera to the pipe. (The camera also has a mount to attach to a camera tripod.) The extension arm retails for $13.95 USD and the super clamp retails for $19.95 USD.

I use weather proof extension cords to plug in the camera and the birdbath. The camera plug for the camera is housed inside a connection box and the birdbath's plug is protected with a cord protector (like this one). 

I followed the recommendation from Birdsy for how far the camera should be placed (within a foot).  I use stones around and inside the birdbath to give areas for the birds to perch while they drink water. I replace the water daily when it is being used heavily. Some also evaporates naturally from the built in heater. 

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below!