We had to go around the property today and find all the blackbird nests. They've reached plague proportions and whilst I don't mind a few, as they eat grubs in the soil, I can't plant a single seedling with them ripping them out. We found six nests each with a few eggs in. Better to take the eggs rather than kill baby birds which I can't bring myself to do. Two were in the engine bay of the guest bus, three in bushes and this beautiful one was in the basket of my bicycle! They are so beautiful. But I just can't live with them tearing apart my garden and can't even imagine another twenty birds around. Fun fact, they were released five miles from here in the 1800s as the landowner was dead keen on the europification of the countryside. Same with the rabbits. If I had a time machine I'd go back and kill him. Worse than Hitler.
I feel you. I used to work in a blueberry farm and we were told to kill baby birds and eggs if we found them. I couldn't do it at all, try to protect the birds and eggs. One of my workmates even tried to bring a small bird back home to save it. But, they can easily ruin the crop over night if we don't remove them from the trees and all of our efforts will vanish.
It's awful isn't it? Not a nice thing to do ...
No not at all. Later I find it was a bit easier to remove the eggs but not the baby birds :(
I would never have thought of birds as pests but I totally feel you. Introducing a new organism in an ecosystem that has no enemies is at least stupid, if not criminal!
Are, at least, the eggs any good for an omelet? 😂
I adore birds and since we have had this garden and planted for them, we have so many beautiful native ones. But the blackbirds are an introduced species that also chase the native birds away as well as tear up the garden. I adore birds, but hate blackbirds with a passion!!!!!
Humans seldom improve nature with their changes 🤦♂️
You make me laugh, so passionate. I don't like blackbirds either but for us, the chipmunks were so abundant this year we had to pick a few off with the bb gun to keep bird seed in the feeders, drove me crazy.
We can't even have a bb gun here, with a licence etc etc etc!!! So frustrating. Haha yeah I get a bit carried away...