I'm hoping this works and doesn't drain out of the terra-cotta. I made it with pots and a hanging basket. I'm going out there and checking every 30 mins to see if it's holding water. It seems to be working…here's how it looks:

I'm thinking I might paint it a nicer color if I can. The hanging basket, I mean.

Very cool idea!!

That ended up being very nice looking! Even with the colors as is, the basket part matches the post that holds the feeder. Very nice idea!

I saw that pots and other things could be used for bird baths/feeders…but I didn't have the rope, and I didn't have the chains, but I DID have a hanging basket. And then this idea popped up in my head. I did have to switch the chains around/tighten them on the basket so that it stayed sturdy and upright, but I'm glad it turned out pretty well.

It seems to be working! I have lots of small birds coming to eat and drink, and the makeshift birdbath isn't leaking either.

Great! One doesn't have to make a major financial commitment to provide something, or try to make something permanent. This looks very easy to fill, clean, move, and put away when it gets too cold. It has places to perch and double-check the predator situation, dry off for a minute, and nowhere for a predator to hide for ambush. A lot going for it!

I think this is a great idea- especially as you saw it being used right away. Plus, smaller amount of water - drying up fast is kind of a plus so you don't accidentally get mosquitoes.

That's true! I didn't think of that. At first I was kind of irritated I would have to fill it once a day to every other day, but there are a lot of pluses. One is that I get to hang out with the birds as I fill it up and they wait.