Birds pecking off tomato leaves?

[Vespertino]

To my newbie horror I've noticed missing leaves and nipped-off tomato flowers with no sign of bugs anywhere. Some of the leaf damage is different, while some are nipped off the stem, others in the same area look torn with longer scratches or pinch marks that look like it was made from a beak rather than a teeny bug maw. And it's not just my tomato plants, it's also been happening to my basil and sage plants. One sage plant has been completely picked clean of leaves.

I suspect birds because I checked for bugs and found nothing. There was also a very disgusting splatter of bird dookie on one of the leaves near the damage. I have a tomato cage called an "ultimato" and I noticed the damage is on sections near where a horizontal bar is placed- perfect for a bird perch.

Has anyone else had damage similar to this and found it to be birds? Or am I blaming the wrong pest?

I'm particularly ★★★★ed that whatever it was nipped off half of my brandywine tomato flowers, brandywine isn't known for being prolific, so every tomato blossom is precious.

In the meantime I put some silvery holographic stars and ribbons around the plant. I've also made an organza bag and slipped it over my tomatoes, I have more bags to make to protect them all. I might go to lowes and see if they have an owl decoy. What works to keep those feathered buggers away? I'd hate to have to smother my plants in a bird-net burka.