After waiting patiently for my fig to ripen I still can't have a taste.  This is a picture of my Celeste, my first ever fig tree, and the first one to get ripe.  I took this picture a few hours ago. It was soft but wasn't drooping so I left it alone.
 

I come back a few hours later and I find this:
 

I've never seen a bird even fly near my trees but I guess they know when its ripe :(

I'm glad Mike gave me a bunch of Organza bags so now i'm protecting every single fig :)

Uh, the bird didn't eat all of it!  There's still some left for you!
Jim

I wanted my first fig to be special :( not to have the memories tainted by bird leftovers :(

A true fig nut would have eaten the other side of the fig:)  

 
I was tempted to... I even cut it in half but then decided I wanted my first experience to be the right one.

 

Hopefully these will fool the birds. If this doesn't work i'll put up a net.  

David, sorry about your very first fig. I should have reminded you to use those O bags as soon as you see one swell. The birds
will find one if its swelling and starting to turn red before you do. Be diligent with the bags until you have enough to share with
the birds, if ever. I have more trees for you so you will have more figs and better change to get them before the birds do.

Thanks Mike.

I should have known better. I read here all the time about the birds but I thought it could never happen to me because i've never seen them even fly close to any of the fig plants and these were hidden under the leaves. Birds sure are smart, they even know that the VdB is not ripe or even close to being ripe although they start off purple. Here are my VdB which they did not touch even though they are more purple then the slightly ripe Celeste.

 

Btw Mike, your plant is looking nice, the leaves are looking full and fresh and not crinkly like my half. I'll coordinate a time with you to drop it off for you soon. 

The leaves are no protection from the birds. They will hop around on the ground underneath the plant and find them. They also
have amazing vision.

Thanks for info on the plant.

I"ve got one breba on my desert king that just started to drop. It will be my first taste
of a fresh fig. Sadly I'll have to split it 3 ways with wife and kid.

If your wife and kid likes it then that means you can have more fig plants :)

Learn from my mistake, protect the fig from birds that way you and your family can enjoy it. I'm out there many times a day and the moment I go inside to do something a birds came.

Unfortunately, unless you net your trees, birds will always find their way. Can't blame them. They know figs taste so delicious.

I wouldn't count on those organza bags.  My birds peck right through them.  Rubber snakes lurking near the figs will keep birds away.  So far those plastic snap containers that cherry tomatoes come in have worked for me.  But netting is the best by far.  Unfortunately here, it's not just birds wanting the fruit.  BIG ole possums, raccoons, coyotes, stuff like that can pretty much gnaw through anything.  We have chain link around the entire back, but those buggers can climb.  The front has Wrought iron, so I guess a determined animal can squeeze through those bars.

Good luck with your next chance at your first fig.

Suzi