Blackbirds

moby, Nov 27, 9:25am
My grapevine is heading for a bumper crop this year, and the bloody blackbirds are eyeing it greedily to wreak the same havoc they did last year. Then, I covered it with bird netting but the little sods seemed to get in anyway. My two ancient cats are not interested in the slightest. Thinking of a rapidly rotating flail just above the vine (think weed wacker with 3 metre flails), but then they will just come up from underneath. Anyone got a surefire (not firearm) antiblackbird system ?.

junie2, Nov 27, 9:33am
My whole garden looks like a rubbish tip at this time of the year, to keep these thieving little buggers out. The only answer is more netting, and sticks and poles and battens and bricks and tins and bottles and car windscreens and wire-netting off-cuts and bamboo, and nova-lite offcuts and old net curtains and clothes pegs and . ! I don't do the kill thing either, but when I find they've tunnelled half way to China through a seed patch in my no-dig garden, I sure feel like it - lol.

annies3, Nov 27, 5:05pm
We used your idea of the windmill type ornament in an area of our roof where the devils were nesting, he put one high up and one upside down underneath the eaves, pleased to report it stopped them in their tracks, the windmills are quite big we got them from the red shop in the garden centre ornaments place after a major hunt over several shops, they are excellent at this job but I don't know about the grape vine, you might need a few of them.

cantabman1, Nov 27, 5:13pm
I have what I thought were rats stealing all the strawberries last year, so I put out a rat trap, only to catch a blackbird :-[

koru67, Nov 27, 5:50pm
You know they are all feeding their babies at this time of the year and are just trying to find enough food for them. Our blackbirds love grated apple, and take mouthfuls off to their hungry babies.

gabbysnana, Nov 27, 6:00pm
Yeap i feed the birds every morning with leftovers. They dont touch my gardens and provide entertainment for my lazy cats.

wasgonna, Nov 27, 9:12pm
No school dinners for these hard working parents.

clementine4, Nov 28, 3:49am
This is a good idea. They love sliced apple, banana and kiwifruit.

junie2, Nov 28, 7:11am
I feed the birds every day, so do neighbours both sides - but still they raid the garden.

samanya, Nov 28, 7:52am
Same here!
I feed the sods in winter. wouldn't you think they would have a heart?
Maybe if we didn't feed them, they would bugger off?
I love my resident blackbirds,they give me huge pleasure to watch, but give them an inch & they take a mile

hezwez, Nov 28, 10:35am
They also fancy chopped dates. ETA I go to places that dump old fridges and ovens and collect slatted trays. This allows wee plants to take root without blackbirds scratching the soil all over the patio.

herc18, Nov 28, 7:06pm
Get a new cat?

moby, Nov 29, 2:20am
Not an option - cats are for life.
This is the kind of issue we have to deal with - bbs swiping the cat food !.
https://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/428889431.jpg

fhpottery, Jul 18, 3:47pm
For the first time in my life my resident blackbird irritates the hell out of me. It attacks the windows, sh##ts everywhere, is aggressive, noisy and makes an annoying whining "threat from above call". It eats my strawberries, plucks the tamarillo fruits and , eats the damn cat food. Digs up my seedlings, and crap# on my clothes on the line. I hate it and I love birds normally.
. neighbours cat got all five chicks this year. I did feel sorry for the damn thing. They work hard.