Robins can thrive in your garden if you leave one common item out for them. Robins are beautiful birds that many people try to attract to their gardens. From their adorable appearance to their sweet birdsong, these creatures are a welcome addition to gardens for most people. There are a number of things a robin will look for when choosing where to nest, and you can introduce these to your garden to increase your chances of attracting them and keeping them there.
Robins need a stable food source (plenty of bugs), water, and shelter, and we can easily provide all of these things to them. A number of gardeners have shared the common item that they have found to be beneficial for attracting and supporting robins. Experts and casual gardeners have pointed to watering cans as a great way to support robins in your garden. People have shared how they have intentionally left out watering cans for robins, and have been happy with the results.
In the Facebook group UK Bird Lovers, one gardener shared a photo of a robin’s nest he found in a watering can he intentionally left out for them. “Excited to find the robins nesting in an old watering can I put up in the hope some wildlife would use it,” he said as he showed the nest in a small metal watering can that he had secured to his garden fence.
He stuck the bottom end of the watering can to the fence, leaving the spout facing down. This attracts robins because it offers them shelter, and it gives them close proximity to areas of your garden where they will find food.
Other group members took to the comments section of the post in amazement, and some shared their own experiences of finding robins nesting in unexpected places in their gardens. “We had a robin’s nest down the gap between our fence and garage last year. I couldn’t believe how big they were,” one person wrote.
According to Ark Wildlife, a robin’s nest can be found in the “strangest” places, such as watering cans and boiling teapots. When it comes to strategically placing your watering can in the hopes that robins will nest in it, bird enthusiast Lydia Harvey shared a few words of advice.
“You should position your nest box high enough off the ground so it’s out of the reach of cats, away from tree branches,” she said. “If possible, it’s a good idea to place it in a quiet, shaded area and conceal it too, using foliage or climbing plants.
“If the nest box is facing between north and east, any robins will be protected from the strongest sunlight and wettest winds.”
