I am a bit confused. In the past, I thought it was squirrels that found my first tomatoes to ripen, took a few bites, then tossed them to the ground. The other day, I noticed a tomato had been bitten into, but not taken off yet. Then, I noticed a robin perched on the tomato cage, at the same level as the damage, wondering if I was going to notice it. I yelled at it, and some people down the block looked up to see what my problem was. I picked that tomato, and later cut off the damaged part and ate the rest. To think that I was thinking so poorly of the squirrels, and talking so sweetly to the birds!
Yesterday morning I noticed damage on one of the first tomatoes across the street, but I didn't pick it, because it wasn't ripe. Later in the evening, I noticed there was more eaten off of it. I decided to leave it, hoping the birds or whatever critters would keep eating this one, and leave the others alone.
Something took some bites off of my summer squash at the garden across the street, too.
I'm thinking this is from a bird, too. Have you experienced these kinds of damage on your produce? I try to put fresh water in my bird baths every day. I'll have to get one for across the street. I wonder if that would help.
The squirrels aren't totally innocent, though. They are still taking sunflowers off the plants while they are still pretty, and knocking down plants in the process. I came across this poor flower in our front yard a few days ago. It wasn't ever claimed, so I broke it up and put it in a bird feeder the squirrels use. I just looked out the door, and there was a blue jay at the feeder, but it was gone when I came back with my camera.
I have a friend who is planning on giving me some strawberry plants to plant across the street. I'll need to decide if the strawberries are for the critters or us. Maybe we can cover some with netting, but leave some uncovered.
