I think I'm in the twilight zone and Alfred Hitchcock is the director. Birds in my Celeste didn't bother me too much for there were many to share. But birds in my LSU Gold (not) is another matter. So to stop them cold I build a hoop frame, the one I pictured here. Well the time has come for the fruit on those two trees to start ripening.

I get out the netting and go to work. It didn't take me long to have them tightly closed in. While sitting at my computer is see birds flying around so I stop to watch. There were at least 6 mockingbirds attacking the Celeste, and that's OK since I pick the last ones for my use and the birds could have the remaining ones.

The ones that concerned me, but I thought I had them whipped, were the two near my LSU Gold (not). One was on the fence next to the securely wrapped trees and the other was one top of the hoop frame. As I continued to watch the one on top did a complete survey of the net, walking across the top and then working his way down all the way to the ground. He inspected every inch of the netting and found no weak spots. Main while the other one starting walking all around the netting pecking at it pulling on it trying to find an entrance. He finally got to one corner that I hadn't tied tight yet because I got run in by the rain and found a small opening. He scooted in like he knew exactly what he was doing. I went out and got him out of the pen and secured the weak spot. All's well, well almost.

A few hours later and I'm again at my computer and movement outside caught my attention. The birds were at it again and then on looking closer I saw one was inside. I went out and starting looking for the gap while the bird flew from one end to the other, bouncing off the netting on each trip. Then on one trip to the opposite end from where I was at he went free. I figured there was a breech in my net, so I examined it closely. After about a dozen trips around that enclosure I could not find any way in or out of it. It was still pinned to the ground all around, all the seams were tight, and the corners were good. So I scratch my head. Did that bird fly straight through that 3/4" mesh? I doubt it. Maybe I'm in the Twilight Zone, I can hear the music.

As I'm typing this post 3 mockingbirds are again attacking the netting. This time it held and they gave up after flying at it, hanging on it, and pecking and pulling on it. I just hope they have been discouraged. Tomorrow I will pick some figs and post pictures. I still would like to know what's the name of this fig.

Sorry to be so long, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
"gene"

Gene, here in the Carolinas those Mocking birds, Brown Thrashers, and Cardinals are the ones to watch.  The cardinals will just stand and walk around the netting for a few days.  But those mocking birds will try to flip up the netting to get under.  Here most gardener lay multi-layers of bundled netting at the bottom.  I also lay 3/4 inch 3 foot rebar at the bottom of my netting.  Cheers and happy chasing!! Dennis

Yes, birds are very persistent, and will find any weak "link" in the defenses.

That's why CDs, rubber snakes, plastic owls, etc for for a little while, in a day or two they figure out that there is no threat, and it is back to business as usual (eating all of your figs). I even be a little willing to share if they would eat one whole fig, rather than sampling 6-8 for just a bite each. As it is, it is war and I take no prisoners.

Hi Pitangadiego,

I tried to come to an agreement with our birds to share figs, but they just laughed, so I put up the PVC frame and netted the trees.  You should have seen their faces when they saw me standing by the netting eating figs.  I reminded them that I'd tried to get them to share, but they didn't want to and now, they can't have ANY of them.  I then laughed at them.

Vivian

Here are the figs I've been fighting the birds over. Bought as a LSU Gold but it's not. Linda and I find it a very good sweet fig with a fair amount of flavor. Compared to my LSU Gold I found the (not) better this morning though I must say the the true LSU Gold was a little over ripe. The (not) were sweeter and more fig flavored. Here are some pictures and if anyone has any idea about the name of this fig please let me know.





LSU Gold front and center







There are three types of leaves, 2 as pictured 3 ane 5 lobed and heart shaped.

Gene,
You need to write one of those Year in Provence type books!
Vivan, will you post a pic or your PVC contraption?
Jon, how do you keep the birds away?
Maybe Atticus Finch was wrong.

Hello lreilley.

I haven't got the foggiest notion how to post a picture here.  I'm luck that I can post!  LOL!

I'm sure my frame is overkill, but Mike said we needed to get thick piping, or it would sag in the heat and brutal sun here, which I'm sure it would.

I'm sorry about that.  If I had your email address, I could send you a photo to see.

Vivian

In my opinion the best and probably the only successful method to keep birds away is a net. I know that I am not very ingenious telling this, but it is the stark reality.

It is tedious to put it, but it is worth the effort. The bigger the tree the more tedious, but you will save more figs in a big tree, a bigger reward.

I prefer a dwarf variety, It is not difficult for netting and I have to do less pruning.

For example, the fig tree in the picture is 10 years old, and I keep in line it with one easy pruning every two years. I put the net in late August and I remove it in November, in the meantime I don't lose figs and I enjoy looking how they ripen until the point I like.

lreiley, I have often thought of writing a chronicle of my life episodes, but I figure it would only be of interest to myself. Perhaps as I age, gracefully I hope, I will find the inclination to do so. One chapter  surely would be titled "To Kill A Mockingbird, a satire". As vile as lawyers are thought of by many for exploiting the law rather than upholding the law, a mockingbird makes a lawyer look like an angel. To win in the battle with a mockingbird is as hopeless as Atticus Finch trying to win his case, no matter how right he was. The phrase "...the only good mockingbird, is a dead mocking bird..." comes to mind.

 Axier's way might work on his birds but not on my mockingbirds. They have an engineering degree. They would get under it in a New York minute.  Here's a picture of the frame I put my net over. For next year I have a better and simpler plan which I will post when the time comes. I think I have a mockingbird proof design. I hear them laughing as I type.

I am not a bird expert but, fortunately for fig lovers, I think there are not mockingbirds in Europe, it is an American bird, is it right?

Here (north coast of Spain), the most fruit greedy bird is the Blackbird (Turdus merula). It is an insatiable bird but not as persevering as a mockingbird. A net is enough to keep it away, at least in my case...

To stop the mockingbirds you would have to have the net pinned or weighted to the ground very tightly all the way around. Here's a link to our beloved Mockingbird along with some of its traits.
"gene"

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/images/birds/northern_mockingbird1_small.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/mockbird/&h=334&w=275&sz=20&tbnid=dIK1r_MB-zPIHM:&tbnh=119&tbnw=98&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmockingbird&usg=__yJUf07AWHnYa5rv34dI9jHugKms=&sa=X&ei=2pNFTKu8M4G8lQfd16jqBA&ved=0CDkQ9QEwBg

Interesting article, Gene.  But we don't have just any old mockingbirds, we have Cajun mockingbirds!  They don't just give up when the going gets tough, they reason out how to solve their problems and get the job done.

:)

We have a mockingbird by our house who mimics Mike's keyless entry beeping for his car!  I have heard people tell me that they had one mockingbird who would call their dog by name.  I'd have liked to have heard that.

Bluejays also mimic and can say words.  Crows can talk very well.  Amazing.

Vivian

Vivian,  Maybe BP should have consulted our cajun mockingbirds to help with their problem.
"gene"

"Axier's way might work on his birds but not on my mockingbirds. They have an engineering degree."

Hi Gene.  So far, a simple net is working just fine against our mockingbirds.  Our mockingbirds must have gotten their engineering degrees from Purdue! [rim-shot]

(sorry; but as an IU grad I couldn't resist).

John

Hahaha. Good shot John.
"gene"

My local birds are recently getting fig-smart.
I strongly suspect one speices in particlar - the cat-bird.
(somehow) I'll make them regret it.

Catbird eh.



"gene"

Mockingbirds versus the Common Two-footed Boobies.  I might vote for the mockingbirds.  :(

I remember cat birds from when I grew up in NJ!  They remind me of mockingbirds.

Vivian

You're right Vivian, they look like a mockingbird all dressed up for the ball. I bet they're cousins.
"gene"