Blackbird proof garden mulch

[Grey_Area]

We love our two families of blackbirds; and they are pretty fearless with us. But, I'd rather they left the garden mulch on the garden, and not everywhere else. They love to dry bathe in the composted bark I put down, as well as the usual digging for insects, worms etc.. part of life I guess.

I have in the past used coco shell as this can bind to itself quite well, but it's quite scarce in my local area, so are there any viable alternatives that self bind and will at least for the first few hours remain where it's put.
TIA.

[Grey_Area]

Anyone...

Just some simple pointers will do, what does everyone else use on their gardens.

TIA

[Grey_Area]

Ladders said:

Have you tried Strulch? Or maybe just agricultural grit if it’s a smaller area?

No I haven't, but thank you I'll take a look.

[Grey_Area]

Pheo said:

What do you want the mulch to achieve? I mulch my beds with compost or well rotted manure; doubt they’ll do it with that,
?

I'd like the beds to look neat, keep some moisture in, decompose and add something to the soil structure; and be on the beds and not everywhere else.
We love the 2 familes of Blackbirds; they are unqualified lunatics with zero fear of us, and that makes us smile, but they wreak havoc on anything I put down on the beds... every single time, in a matter of minutes, sweep up, turn around, go back and sweep up again, that quickly..
They've done it with manured compost, mushroom compost, bark of all sorts, pretty much all of the usual suspects you'd buy from any gardening outlet.
The only thing we haven't tried recently due to shortages in our area is coco shell, but from memory, until it gets wet it's all over the place, and it doesn't last that long.. smells nice though..