Robins, blue tits, finches, and thrushes will flock to your garden all summer if you add one simple thing to your birdbath: natural stones. A gently sloping, shallow birdbath is ideal for luring robins, but if yours lacks this feature, placing stones or rocks inside provides extra stability and a secure grip for small birds.
Why Natural Stones Work Best
Gardeners on Reddit recommend choosing natural stone over polished types, which birds may slip on. One user suggested the best choice is "natural rock without algae on top isn't too slippery." They continued: "Maybe don't use some manually polished stone, that could get slippery indeed." Another contributor said: "I put some flat natural stones in mine, and the little birds often use them. It's fun to watch them building up the nerve to try one out for the first time."
Optimal Placement and Maintenance
The ideal spot for your birdbath should be fairly near shelter and shade, while staying easily visible to smaller birds. It's crucial to refresh the water daily and keep it ice-free during winter. Frequent cleaning is equally important to maintain a clean, appealing water source. Grime and algae can build up quickly, but a simple trick using 1p or 2p coins can help: the copper acts as a natural biocide, preventing algae from establishing. Be sure to clean the coins thoroughly before placing them in the bath.
RSPB Advice on Feeding
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has recently issued urgent guidance urging people to stop putting out seeds for garden birds from May 1. The bird conservation charity introduced updated recommendations that came into effect this month and will stay in place until October 31. The RSPB has cautioned gardeners, bird enthusiasts, and amateur birdwatchers against providing birds with seeds or peanuts due to concerns that feeding birds throughout spring and summer, despite good intentions, is actually helping to spread disease.
