Mockingbirds and Christmas Balls

[shelleybean]

Wow! The clothespins are a fantastic idea! And I already have them around the house! Thank you!

[honu]

Hi Shelley, You can cut extra tulle fabric, and use the ends to tie them, so you don't even need clothespins. (Delighted to see fruit set on AGG, after having such difficulty w/ fruit set on many other PLs... but it has been extremely windy this month...)

For dwarf plants (this one is Tricot Czech), I draped the tulle over the plant, but used bamboo & vinyl covered flexible wire clothesline (bendable but rigid enough to support fabric) to keep the fabric off the plant. (oops, need to clothespin that hole.)

[Bryan24]

We used netting last year. We didn't use a frame, although we never found dead birds, or tangled birds(at least not that I found any, and Bryan would spare me the guilt trip), I did find several trapped UNDER the net. Not that they would have starved, or anything. We did have the netting all the way to the ground, so those were some very determined little birdies (nuthatches, i think). I think this year I may have to stake, or weight the netting at the bottom. It did help with the critter damaged fruit, though. But I did find it harder to find the ripening fruits. I think it may have been the weight of the netting compacting the plants downward.....

laurel-tx

[TJS]

I was wondering if anyone had come up with a better way to keep mockingbirds at bay? Anyone?
Tim

[dcarch]

I saw a documentary on how chickens would run for cover when bird-of-prey calls are played. So I got myself a CD recording with many kinds of birds-of-prey calls, thinking that I can play these sounds over a loudspeaker to scare away all kinds of critters and birds. But I never had any problems with birds eating my tomatoes, so I never tried it.

dcarch

[shelleybean]

I was just looking at those cheapo Christmas balls last week. I'm about to try this out so I'll report back on how it goes. Wish me luck!

[TJS]

Just put christmas balls on the plants and within 3 minutes a mockingbird flew in to investigate. It came close to the balls but looked and didn't peck. I think it either smelled it or close up could tell that they were not tomatoes. My toms are close to ripening and now I'm really scared. I guess I'll try the tulle but with so many tomatoes it is going to be a pain. Would try the bird of prey recordings but my DW is a birder and would probably be mad if I did. Gonna keep brainstorming!
Tim

[shelleybean]

Either I have a whole new generation of mockingbirds that isn't aware of tomatoes or this idea really works! I think it was Melody who suggested it. Whoever it was, thank you!

[jenn_sc]

This very morning I discovered why I've been getting so few ripe cherry tomatoes, although there are tons of green ones....I rounded the corner to my garden and two !@*% mockingbirds flew out of the vines! Arrghhh! I've discovered two ripe Wuhib tomatoes with holes, too.

We never had problems with mockingbirds at our old place. The pair that live in the pecan trees here at the new house have already been a royal pain...we raised an orphan house wren and released him in the backyard. He is so tame he still comes straight to us when we're outside. Those mockers have been terrorizing him. They chase him at every opportunity and he's scared...he flies to us when they're after him for protection. Now they're eating tomatoes too!!! It's too much.

We're big time animal lovers (vegetarians, even) but those birds days' might be numbered!
Jennifer

[bcday]

Originally Posted by jenn_sc

those birds days' might be numbered!
Jennifer

It's illegal in the USA to kill a mockingbird or almost any other bird, or even trap it and relocate it, without a federal permit.

I'd try the Christmas balls or tulle.

Here's a list of birds that are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The mockingbird is on it:
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/in...a/mbtandx.html

As far as birds of prey, I think the ones most likely to go after a mockingbird would be a Cooper's Hawk or maybe a Sharp-shinned Hawk. If you don't have a recording of one, maybe a silhouette or decoy would work?

Anybody tried the plastic owl thing?

[feldon30]

Mockingbirds are too smart to be bothered by plastic owls, Christmas balls or anything of the sort. Netting is just about the only solution I've heard of that works.

If the bird was eating the tomatoes for sustenance, they'd take several bites out of 1 tomato. Instead, they do it out of curiosity, taking one bite out of many tomatoes.

Mockingbirds are not an endangered species in Texas, so I have no qualms about keeping them out of my tomato plants.

[bcday]

Feldon, the MBTA is about all native birds, not just endangered species. BTW, there is a fine of up to $15,000, up to six months in prison, or both.

IMO the Christmas balls or tulle are good ideas.

And if you have the room, it might help to plant shrubs that have berries to distract fruit-eating birds like mockingbirds away from your tomatoes. If the birds stuff themselves full of a fruit that they like better than tomatoes, everybody benefits.

[TJS]

Actually I read somewhere (maybe this thread) that if you put plastic grocery bags this will help b/c the birds can't see them. Well I tried it and it does work. The christmas balls didn't work for me and tulle seems like it would be less convientto put on than tying bags on fruit.
Tim

[TJS]

Oh and to add something to what bcday said, in the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" Atticus gives Jem and Scout air rifles for christmas and says "Children you must remember that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird". While in my frustrating experience with mockingbirds I have second guessed this theory, but the phrase was so powerful to me that I would never kill one intentially (I did kill one accidentaly with it getting caught in bird netting).
Tim

[feldon30]

UPDATE: According to this Wiki article as well as this Texas Parks and Wildlife article, Mockingbirds are neither rare (their numbers have actually skyrocketed in the last few decades), nor exhibit any migratory behavior in Texas.

Alas, even if it were removed from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which was enacted in 1918, it's still the state bird of Texas.