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Talkback: Blackbirds and blackberries

Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
in Talkback
I say let the birds eat the berries. Birds add so much to the garden. In fact I think I'll grow some blackberries just for the birds next year in my garden.
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  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    This year has been great for young ones in my garden ive had sparrows,blue tits,great tits,robins and of course the yobish starlings. its been great to watch the feeders everyday. ive been feeding them on sunflower seeds and wild bird seed.the blackbirds,doves and woodpigeons clean up the ground below.ive also got a family of squirrels, my daughter has also named them all.my garden is very small but big in wild life its a pleasure.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I was watching Ma and Pa Blackbird feeding their babies on my cherries last night - it was very entertaining and the blackbird family repay us with their singing for the rest of the year. Fair exchange I think ..... they don't seem to eat the blackberries though. I do chuck out the odd soggy fruits for them and we live in harmony. My little moggie would love to catch a blackbird, but they are far too clever for her, even if she does slide sinuously through the lilac tree. I'm happy about that - she's just caught mice so far.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Putting some low cost supermarket sultanas on the bird table seems to have tempted the song birds away from my fruit this year, but sadly not tempted the pigeons away from the brassicas!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I have had the same problems with Blackbirds. One particular one used to give a very loud Blackbird type "Ha Ha - Beat you to another one" Still they are lovely to see and hear in the garden. Yes the ripe fruits do seem to disappear. Not only birds eye up our strawberry tub - our young yellow labrador saunters by sniffing all the time, and hoping nobody is watching. The joys of gardening
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Don't lay the blame on the birds, I have had mice in the greenhouse for some years eating away at the tomatoes and the aubergines during the summer, during the winter I had seeds in plastic boxes and the mice chewed through the hard plastic. My birds seed is kept in a galvanised bin with a heavy weight on. Also my lupin seed and pods have disappeared I put it down to the mice they lay in wait as I often see them running from bed to bed, where is the Sparrow hawk when I need him
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I was preparing ground to plant carrot seed when I disturbed an ants nest hundreds of ants were revealed I leveled the ground to prepare to sow as fast as I was putting seeds in drill the ants were taking the seed. Has anyone else experience this.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Given up the uneven fight between Blackbird and self over cherries and have done a George Washington. Sorry but as all the garden birds and other denizens keep me poor in providing repasts for them, year long. I need the space and am reduced to supermarket cherries.! So I am the greater loser.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Maybe thought it was OK to "sing for their supper".
    And someone who has so much free time they can grow strawberries to eat during Wimbledon ...
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I dont know what I am doing wrong but I just cant grow blackberries, I know it sounds stupid the bushes that grow at road sides ext but not for me.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I sympathise! I built & netted a 14'x 14' x 9' cage for two cherries,strawberries 7 other fruit, 7 ended up having to let the blackbirds in as they kept getting trapped. They raised two large families 7 i got no cherries, & shared the strawbs. My outside blackberries got ruined by sparrows, who are small enough to run about on the canes. All last years fruit were covered in scabs from where they'd chewed them. & Yesterday when I was feeding my hens I saw what looked like a hamster (no, it wasn't) sitting up with it's arms folded in a grass hole at the bottom of the henshelter ladder, where I put their seeds! Just waiting for me to leave! Half their food goes down the local wildlife!
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