The battle continues

Every year our battle gets harder and harder.

We hope that they won't come back, but they always do.

They are getting more cunning and silent.

In just 5 days they all but stripped our entire orchard and we went from having a bumper crop to basically nothing. They had been in before that, but when 2 turned in to 6 turned into 12 turned in 20, there was nothing really we could do.

Of course I'm taking about the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos.

As I mowed the grass in between the rows of our apple trees, I almost cried seeing the wasted fruit strewn over the ground. What they hadn't cracked open (to eat just the pips inside), they had knocked off just as many on to the ground below. They also break off bits of the tree, just because they can. We netted about 10 trees out of the 260........the others just weren't worth doing......the trees are getting too big to net by hand. So it looks like we won't be making any cider this year.

And then they moved in to my orchard.  For some reason they don't like the Gravensteins, so at least I was able to get some apples. The Golden delicious are a long way off being ready, so I am resigned to the fact that I won't see any of these.

Not only do I have fruit all over the ground, I now have European Wasps moving in and enjoying the split apples.

My Jonathons are also a favourite with the Black Cockatoos and as 3 flew out of the small tree this afternoon, I was determined that they weren't going to steal the last of them from me........so I picked the lot......ready or not, they're mine you bastards!

So apart from the manky little Golden Delicious left on the tree, my Cox's Orange Pippins and a few Snow Apples are all that is left of my apples. They are both a little way off, but rest assured if they start in to them I will pick the lot!

And what about next year? I said to Russell that if we don't put up some sort of permanent netting structure over the trees, we might as well rip the lot out. Growing them for the birds just isn't on.

Linda     :)

 

Comments

[Julie C]

This is so devastating, just too sad. xo

[Julie Gibbs]

oh they are pests! at least you got some tomatoes!