Every year about this time I have war. I lost last year, so I am determined to come out a winner this year. Last year we were on vacation when the cherries got ripe and the birds got them all. They wiped out 100% of the crop.

With a bit of red showing here and there, the battles have begun. One tactic that has worked in the past is a system of scare birds. This is somewhat like a scarecrow, but aimed at mocking birds, black birds, blue jays and all of their cousins.

My scare birds don't look like people. They are shinny, rattley, shaky things hanging in the tree. I am still looking for the rubber snake, but the rest of my artillery is already in place.

The trees are more than 100 feet from the house. Wind helps to keep the scare birds moving, but you can't depend on it. So I have a string running from a small tree beside the carport all the way over to the cherry trees. As I move about, from the house to the garage, to the garden, and around the yard, I give a yank on the string each time I pass. The unexpected movement causes a panic in bird land and they retreat to some larger trees for safety.

You might not think this is effective, but by the time the trees are red all over, the birds will be so spooked they won't come near. Some years, those few cherries at the very top, where they are beyond my reach, will dry up and fall off untouched by birds. They will get a few in the beginning, but unless we are out of town, we get gallons of red, ripe cherries for the freezer.

Friends and relatives are invited to share the wealth after we get all we need. You might say it is cobbler season in our neighborhood.

Don't worry about the birds. There is plenty of food available. They feast on dogwood berries and wild cherries in the woods.
Howard