Three years ago we had a great cherry crop, but the last two years the birds have beaten us to it. Last year we came home from one of Ed's art shows and found nothing hanging but the pits.
I like having the birds around, and we feed them generously, on sunflower seeds and suet and grape jelly (for the orioles, but the catbirds and woodpeckers like it too), not to mention all the yummy bugs on the cukes and zucchini right now, and we let them have most of the blackberries, which are coming along nicely.
But not the cherries...
However, the tree's too tall to net - we can't even reach the top. So after some research on Google and various gardening forums, we've decided on the solution.
Meet Hoot-
According to a variety of garden experts, an owl decoy or owl scarecrow ( made in USA, signed by the artist who modeled him, made of plastic and hollow to be filled with sand for ballast) works like a charm to scare birds away from the vicinity. Apparently birds don't analyse to think that owls aren't usually out all day or wonder why he doesn't move (though the experts do suggest you move him every few days). So Hoot sits on his perch watching over the cherries. To give him a little help, we've also festooned the tree with shiny dangling CD's, a trick I saw in France.
He only has to hold the other birds at bay for the next two days, while we're gone, because when we get back, either the cherries will be ripe - or disappeared. Stay tuned.
