An odd thing about Raspberries & Blackbirds

[Mugsy]

Has anyone else experienced the fact that Blackbirds will mercifully rob Summer fruiting Rasps from dawn til dusk. You have to net them and even then they'll sneak in any gap and carry on scoffing under the net.

Come the Autunmn Fruiting Rasps and they never touch them, no need for a net at all. In my garden the gap between end of SF Rasps and start of the Autumn ones is maybe 3 weeks, how come in that time the Blackbirds lose their taste for Raspberries.

Or is there so much wild food at this time of year they just do n't bother, or is there a difference and the AF Rasps taste different.

[Tam]

My summer fruiting rasps are never eaten by blackbirds, or any other bird, but the redcurrants are stripped if not netted. Black and white currants are never touched, but the blueberries have to be netted. The rasps may have some protection because of their particular location in the garden.

[FB.]

Here, the blackbirds really love blueberries (even when they are far from ripe!), they have a fair taste for summer raspberries, a slight taste for strawberries and are totally uninterested in whitecurrants.

[Hilary B]

The nuisance really gets going when the blackbirds get to the elderberries, and then perch on the washing line.
I remember my Mum having to dry the sheets indoors in elderberry season.
Fortunetly we don't have eldeberries growing quite so close.

[daylily]

Has anyone else experienced the fact that Blackbirds will mercifully rob Summer fruiting Rasps from dawn til dusk.

I have not here at all.

Come the Autunmn Fruiting Rasps and they never touch them,

Negative again.

Neither need netting here the damage is so minimal.

[Alice]

I don't know Mugsy, but in my last garden I has 2 Rowan trees. They looked the same to me. The berries on one tree attracted every Blackie in the area, in there guzzling and kicking each other in the face. The other tree, just a few yards away, was never touched.

[Two_Sheds]

Blackbirds will take my strawberries, but never raspberries.
Blackbirds are ground-feeders...

[Tam]

We have two rowans that are completely stripped of berries every year by the blackbirds. They really love cotoneaster berries and also the fruits of leycesteria formosa
(pheasant berry). I quite enjoy seeing them scoffing the fruits as they entertain me regularly in the garden.

[Alice]

Blackbirds will take my strawberries, but never raspberries.
Blackbirds are ground-feeders...

They're not ground feeders when they're eating my Rowans, Cherries, Brambles, Oregon Grapes, Elderberries, etc - but they do get down on the ground and eat some worms.

[tootles]

I've not lost any fruit to the birds - the dog gets it first!

Have you ever seen a labrador strip just the ripe berries and leave the unripe ones??!!
She can even do it with blackberries and avoid the thorns!