From 'pets' to wildlife

There was a moment this summer when our blackbird population reverted from 'pets' to wildlife.  No more chucking crumbs, summoning whistles, endearments and baby names.  By their actions they proved to be what they are, wild birds with an appetite for fruit.

Of course we knew this was true of the soft fruit which was why we annually netted the blueberry, raspberries and blackcurrants and moved the gooseberry in its big pot closer to the house, where unfortunately it nearly succumbed to gooseberry sawfly.  Sawfly larvae were relatively easy to deal with, picked off by hand and thrown over the hedge.  Apple trees needed nets.

This had never happened on such a scale before.  We had had the occasional peck at our 'Discovery' a beautiful red early ripening apple.  Now it was more like an onslaught. And once ripe apples have been pecked it is not long before the damaged fruit starts to brown and rot.

So Discovery, to the amusement of our neighbours, was swathed in net curtains, weighted down at the edges, clipped together with clothes pegs while the lawn beneath them grew long and a hiding place for frogs.

We picked at the end of August.  They do not store so we ate them week by week or gave them away.  The odd pecked apple which had evaded my checking went into apple and blackberry muffins.

We left the Scotch Bridget until the end of September.  We had waited five years for the full cropping of this lovely apple which is a dual purpose cooker and eater.  Foiled on their attempts on Discovery the blackbirds unexpectedly went for this one too hence the nets which went up a little later but stayed up for over a month.  

Now both nets are stored away.  The Scotch Bridget, which may last until November is stored in the pantry in stacks of supermarket cardboard trays.  My husband has cut the long grass with hand shears and the frogs, I presume have gone to hide and hibernate.  The blackbirds have returned to the lawn for worms.