Ann: I have not tried this, but many people simply take a plastic milk jug and poke a small hole or two in the bottom. Then, they hang it over their bird bath. As for cover to protect the birds, maybe try putting it in a tree. I think cover is a double-edged sword. It may protect the birds from hawks, but make them suseptible to cats. I would just try hanging it from an unbent coat hanger wire in a tree.

Birds usually prefer their baths to be on or close to the ground (chickadees are an exception and like to drink from hanging containers). I have several large, glazed saucers scattered in shady spots around the yard. I suspend a milk jug on a short shepherd's crook over each one and let water drip from a single small pinhole. The birds love it. The jugs can drip for several hours up to most of the day depending on the size of the hole. I tend to fill the jugs first thing in the morning and again in the late afternoon, because that's when I get the most visitors.

You can also buy small, preformed baths that mimic waterfalls or have built in drippers. You might want to check the selection available at Duncraft(.com) for some ideas of what's out there. Snakes will undoubtedly be attracted to any water source to drink from, but if you don't have hiding places for them near the water, they shouldn't be a concern. Snakes are always more afraid of you and would prefer to quietly vanish than to confront you.