making the birds mad

So for months I have been doing a great deal of research on a safe way to keep the birds from eating my fruit off my fruit trees (I have fig, pear and plum trees) everyone kept saying to use a net but I was worried with reports about birds or other animals get stuck in them as well as the effect they can have on the tree in preventing growth for future years. I discovered Mylar bird tape which you tie onto poles and put through out the trees. The wind blows the tape (like ribbon) and it keeps the birds away.

It seemed to be working very well... my backyard is SO PEACEFUL now... I had gotten so used to a yard full of birds that in a way it's kind of sad I don't get to watch the blue jays every morning outside my bathroom window while I get ready, but I will have fruit this year.

The other night it was so hot that I was trying to cool off by laying in the kiddie pool... the birds were all in the redwood tree (if you don't know about my hate hate relationship with the redwood tree, be thankful, very thankful!) and they were making lots of noise... I imagine they were complaining to each other about how they are going to starve this fall without my fruit trees to eat from, at one point I yelled at them that if they want to pay the water bills and spend the time pruning and thinning the fruit by all means they can share in the harvest but as they don't do anything to help they get nothing.

I do wonder if at some point the birds will out smart the tape and discover that it won't hurt them and start eating the fruit.



On another note - I got strawberries this year! I had planted them last year, but they didn't produce any fruit and I was worried... but this year I have gotten 3 little bitty strawberries, which are no where near enough berries for all my summer plans. This weekend alone I am making two desserts for parties both needing strawberries.
I did try to take a picture of the three little berries, but my camera is acting up and I think it's time for a new one.