Turns out that stones in the bird bath are more than just an aesthetic element. In fact, they may even save a life.
"This morning a little bird was flapping his wings frantically in the bird bath," said Crystal Carvotta-Brown, a cat rescue volunteer in Massachusetts. "At first I thought he was just cleaning his feathers but then I realized that he was in distress."
Crystal, an avid community organizer who has helped place hundreds of throw-away cats, was quick to take action when she sensed danger.
"I walked over to him and he didn't even try to fly away so then I thought he was injured," Crystal said. "I used a large stick for him to hop on to which he did but then proceeded to try to fly and fell to the ground. He started running away from me. I was able to get him and get him safely into a cat carrier and contacted a wildlife rehabber. Turns out he was just a baby sparrow and got himself pooped out trying to get out of the bird bath because his feathers were all wet and he couldn’t fly."
"Once he dried off he started flying around inside the cat carrier so I brought him back outdoors and opened the carrier door and off he flew.' thrilled that he is okay but can't help but feel stupid for never thinking that the little bit of water in there might be too deep for a baby bird! The rehabber recommended that I put a couple of large stones in the bird bath so that smaller birds can get themselves up on top of them to dry off and get their bearings again."
Birdbath fountain with stones image via Shutterstock.
Read more at ENN Affiliate Care2. (http://www.care2.com/causes/why-put-stones-in-your-bird-bath.html#ixzz35NU24dUL)