Here I've been blaming the mynas and sparrows nesting in the rain gutters of our house, when the winds are to blame!
Last week when I was cleaning up the orchard area here at Struan Farm I found hundreds of fallen green apples and peaches on the ground. I blamed the birds, they are the usual suspects for this sort of criminal activity.
But I hadn't considered the high winds we've been having. They blew through again late yesterday. And today there are more fallen apples under Monty and Peasgood, fallen peaches under Golden Queen, and even fallen plums under Satsuma. While the amount of fruit on the trees looks okay, our harvest will be reduced, oh dear!
It seems I've falsely accused the birds for a crime they didn't commit. Just yet.
And yes, I know there are products out there to keep birds out of rain gutters. On our end it's a matter of priorities, and we just haven't gotten around to it. Since we seem to have quite a few permanent residents now established in the gutters I'm encouraging John to move this up the list. The chirping and poop are annoying. I have been known to take matters into my own hands on this sort of "maintenance" oriented job from time to time, but given our division of labour the situation must be extreme before I dare cross any lines.
And yes, I know there are also products out there to discourage birds from attacking fruit trees. Scare tape doesn't really work, nor do dangling CDs. Netting is a blight on the landscape, and must be removed at a certain point. I have covered some laden branches with pieces of netting (plums and peaches in particular), and may resort to that again to protect fruit.
I know those birds, they're just biding their time.
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