[Rowan]

I've just started planing out my seedlings for the plot this year, and i'm a little worried about the amount of birds inn my garden, we have pigeons, black birds, partridges and phesents as well as loads of other small garden birds.

I've planted out my runner beans and they have already been nibbled!! 

Short of netting my whole plot which veg need bird protection and which should be fine?

I'm making a cage for my fruit bushes, but i'm worried all the fat sparrows are going to eat my veg!!

Advice please

[paintedlady]

Birds generally are not too much of a problem, but take a moment to think what each type like to eat and select those crops at risk.

Blackbirds definitely love fruit (strawberries, blueberries, cherries  (still waiting for a crop - I never seem to get there in time before the birds!) and supposedly raspberries and redcurrants though to be honest I've not had problems and there are several families that nest in my privet hedge!

Pigeons are big clumsy things and brassicas are most at risk - as you should erect netting to prevent cabbage white caterpillar infestation anyway, this can have dual purpose.  They may peck at other stuff (but there are also lots of insects that nibble plants too that look like bird damage) but once they are big enough, most plants are normally unaffected by this.  Perhaps some temporary netting until they get established might be in order?

I don't know which birds do it (pigeon?) but onion sets are at risk of being pulled up until the leaves sprout and then they are fine.

I've not had experience of partridge or pheasant nor sure what they eat, but I imagine they peck around the ground and with being a bit on the big side, may well disturb seedlings.  So perhaps erect something temporary like an old bit of trellising over the ground or stretch some pea/bean netting about a couple of inches above the ground until they start getting established.

I've never had problems with sparrows and other small garden birds.  Robins and thrushes will eat the grubs and bugs which are a good thing 

[Sadgit]

I fleece all my peas/beans (except Broad) until they get to a decent height so the damn pigeons cannot eat them alive. brasicas I fleece all the time to stop the pigeons and the cabbage whites getting at them.

I just net my fruit bushes and strawberries but might make a cage this year with the spare chicken wite I have. 1st year I had them I had zero fruit and had no idea why not... till I saw Mr Blackbird helping himself

[paintedlady]

1st year I had them I had zero fruit and had no idea why not... till I saw Mr Blackbird helping himself

LOL - I remember the first time I saw Mr Blackbird with a big juicy strawberry in his beak ... he stopped in his tracks and looked at me as if to say, "oh oh I've been spotted", then bobbed his head (like blackbirds do) and scuttled off.  Since then I have made a point of netting them now but the cherry trees are nigh impossible to protect ... I've even contemplated making some mini anti-bird devices round the fruit as they are developing so I can at least get to taste one!  Hmmm, must put my thinking cap on that .........

[Rowan]

Cheers for the tips

The garden is in disarray at the moment as we inhereted the fruit bushes ect, but i think a nicely built cage would look neater than just netting. I've fleeced the beans now and will fleece all seedlings until strong. I'm deffo going to net my peas though as there are some big fat pigeons in the garden.

Unfortunatly we are on a partridge hunting estate so we can't let out our cat to scare the birds off!!

Ta

[oldbean]

I don't know which birds do it (pigeon?) but onion sets are at risk of being pulled up......

Blackbirds.