Q: Who likes grapes?

[ameerat42]

A: Birds do.

Even when the grapes have been netted fairly well (I thought). There was a noisy myna in the nets the other day, so I opened up the gap at the bottom and it flew out.

The lorikeets had been eyeing the grapes off for a 2ple of days, and today there were three in the nets.

Two flew out of the gap I made, while the other tried to fly though the nets. Well, it got nicely tangled, thanks, and so I had to spend 15 mins with tissues stuck in my ears and thick gloves on for its beak and claws. And then it was squirming and screeching and biting and clawing... Not much help.

I had to cut the net with a sharp cutter, making sure not to injure the avian. (A couple of passers by thought I was mad!) When I had it free of the nets I had to hold it still cut away at the shreds of netting that were still wrapped around its body.

Now about these grapes. They're isabellas - classic! Trouble is they didn't ripen well this year because of the paucity of sunlight. The birds would get into them even when still not ripe. The nets were to rescue some of the crop to at least taste. (They make terrific jam!)

And then, there was absolutely no opportunity to take a picture. While this was going on I was still trying to drain a big gazebo that had filled with water and sagged. That's what I started out doing, and the birds interrupted this.

Summary: the bird is OK and the gazebo is stable.

(Somewhat < 1000 words in lieu of a picture.)

[old dog]

sounds like quite a sage am. Glad you pulled it off without too much harm.

[ricktas]

Just a note. Dogs like them too, but you should never feed grapes or raisins to dogs. They can cause kidney failure in dogs.

[Tikira]

We feel your pain Am. We run a constant battle with birds, bugs and rats here that like their share of our organic fruit and veg- sometimes you feel it is hardly worth the effort, then you manage to save some of it and that puts you on a high.

Home grown is worth the pain
Di

[Mary Anne]

Water Dragons like them also.. I have seen office workers in Roma Street gardens sharing theirs on their lunch break.