Blueberries and blackbirds

I would have found it all comical were it not for the fact that the blackbirds had already eaten most of my plump ripe blueberries.

When I went downstairs for breakfast I glanced out of the kitchen window and immediately noticed something amiss with the blueberry bush. Where yesterday there had been a good crop ready for picking, I could not see any fruit! So I padded out in my nightie hoping no one was watching, to survey the damage.

Sure enough, the birds had managed to find a way in through the plastic screening I had erected around the bush. I thought the mesh size was too small for the birds - but clearly not - or they have just become smarter at squeezing through the holes. It worked last year. Anyway, they had eaten all the ripe berries, leaving only a handful of those still to ripen. I must at least salvage those, I thought, so I straightaway replaced the screening mesh, using some with smaller holes! And went back indoors for breakfast.

Within less than a minute two blackbirds came down, a male and his mate. They strutted around the new guard, tried to cling to its sides, perched on top, walked around it again, and so on .... They just could not believe what had happened or understand why they could no longer get in to eat the fruit! It took quite a while before they gave up and went away! I wish I could have filmed their antics. They were very funny.

Spring 2008 on the allotment

Some "plotters" as we are often now called were quick off the mark that first year and not only managed to get sheds up but also had the foresight to plant daffodil bulbs to give a show of colour that first spring. This photo was taken April 2008. It is not my plot!

There was plenty of construction going on all around the site. As well as the many sheds going up there were also plenty of strange goings on with posts and stakes as plotters planned mini orchards and fruit cages. And many were constructing raised beds with planks of wood and imported top soil.


I chose not to grow any fruit trees as I was concerned at the space they would take up. And I had no timber to make raised beds but I made my own improvisations as we shall see later.


For now just look at the difference another 3 months has made!! This was taken July of that first year! No one could really believe just how much progress was made and what superb produce we took home to eat that summer.

Look at those runner beans in the background, and the broad beans, broccoli and spinach in the foreground. The broccoli are totally caged to keep pigeons and butterflies away.
Pigeons found the allotment in no time and would strip brassica leaves down to the midrib given half a chance.
And the only sure way to keep caterpillars away from brassicas is to keep the butterflies out with suitably small netting!