Magpies steal ALL my berries

[awg]

Has anyone else had this problem ?

I noticed that I was not getting any mulberries, blueberries or strawbs, despite many berries forming.

I observerd magpies to eat EVERY red mulberry before they had ripened ( thousands)

So I put a chicken wire cage over my strawbs.

I saw the damm things attacking it with such vigour they jammed their beaks down and got them

My alternative is to build a much sturdier strawb barrier...or what else?

With the possums decimating other fruit, I can feel a native wildlife slaughter coming on :rippergun

 

[pixel]

Has anyone else had this problem ?

I noticed that I was not getting any mulberries, blueberries or strawbs, despite many berries forming.

I observerd magpies to eat EVERY red mulberry before they had ripened ( thousands)

So I put a chicken wire cage over my strawbs.

I saw the damm things attacking it with such vigour they jammed their beaks down and got them

My alternative is to build a much sturdier strawb barrier...or what else?

With the possums decimating other fruit, I can feel a native wildlife slaughter coming on :rippergun

get yourself a couple of Cats. They know how to deal with Magpies.

 

[Julia]

I'm most sympathetic, awg. I had the same problem with various birds eating my unripened passionfruit. I found the solution was to drape a couple of layers of soft tree netting over the vine. They can't perch on that while they get to your fruit.
Good luck.

 

[vkdirector]

get yourself a couple of Cats. They know how to deal with Magpies.

ESP in October

 

[Whiskers]

get yourself a couple of Cats. They know how to deal with Magpies.

Yeah, I got cats mainly for rodent control instead of laying baits, bird repelling is a bonus even with an odd casualty a small price to pay for being bait free.

Now I need a dog to shoo the damn plague proportions of roos.


Apart from the usual barriers and kites, there are some electronic/ultrasonic bird scarers on the market. http://www.birdgard.com.au/bird-pest-control-products/ultrasonic-bird-repeller.htm

I haven't used them, but have seen them in orchards to airports.

 

[Calliope]

Has anyone else had this problem ?

I noticed that I was not getting any mulberries, blueberries or strawbs, despite many berries forming.

I observerd magpies to eat EVERY red mulberry before they had ripened ( thousands)

I noticed a bunch of currawongs doing the same thing to my neighbor's plum tree a few days ago They were having a ball. One bloke was laying on his back and eating a plum he was holding in his claws.

 

[tech/a]

Employ a cat.

Seriously get some grape vine mesh/net that does it.
Its white miles of it down here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9PkF-SzJMc

 

[McCoy Pauley]

It looks like I'll have to invest in some netting as well. Indian mynahs have been eating strawberries off my children's strawberry patch.

 

[Julia]

The soft netting is a cheap, easy solution. Bunnings have it in bundles for next to nothing. No need to sacrifice good fruit to the damn birds.

 

[awg]

lol at you guys with cats...most cats I know of would be far too wimpy too take on these flocks of huge plump magpies, all they do is kill every other form of native wildlife.

thx for the ideas though, a mean-assed dog might do the trick ?

one problem is that my neighbour feeds them, and they use my large grassy areas to graze...we are talking lots of birds.

There is no alternative but to build proper wire fences, as not only do I have magpies, but also many sulphur crested cockatoos, these buggers can chew thru nearly anything and are enormous.

Also mynor birds, I dont mind the parrots at all, so beautiful

On a pleasing note, I can report that early, aggressive hosing of the noisy large cuckoos is a succesful tactic to discourage them from roosting in a given tree