# Mockingbirds



## Mikeyhunts (Jun 4, 2007)

Does anybody else hate these suckers this time of year??? Here is one sitting on top of the hawk decoy!! Lol
It's all I can do to keep them off my tomatoes and strawberries!! Really ****** me off!









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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Well, don't hold it against me, but I love the birds...and always plant an extra tomato plant or two for the mockers. The songs and entertainment they give me is well worth a few tomatoes....now if I had strawberries like yours, I might sing a different song.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Gotta, plant enough for everyone. I too enjoy their antics.


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## Mikeyhunts (Jun 4, 2007)

Bitten tomatoes don't bother me much, ruined strawberries make me want to break out shotgun!! 


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## sotol buster (Oct 7, 2007)

Try keeping some water bowls near your tomatoes. They are thirsty. A guy told me this a few years ago and for 3 years I did not have a peck. Now those stink bugs ****** me off so bad i gave up gardening.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

sotol buster said:


> Try keeping some water bowls near your tomatoes. They are thirsty. A guy told me this a few years ago and for 3 years I did not have a peck. Now those stink bugs ****** me off so bad i gave up gardening.


You had to bring that up!! LOL


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

They wear out my tomatoes too.The bluebirds are bug eating machines and are by far my favorites.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

peckerwood said:


> They wear out my tomatoes too.The bluebirds are bug eating machines and are by far my favorites.


Yes, there cool. I have some that hang around my garden. Also, have mocking birds as well.


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## Johnny9 (Sep 7, 2005)

I have tried everything being fake owl and pie pans tried to a string above garden. Pie pans seem to help if there is a wind but that owl sucks. Might invest in a red tail hawk.


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

A full bird seed feeder keeps them occupied. If not, the 22CB's come out. To "scare" them since they are our state bird.


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## MR. L. (Jun 19, 2007)

try hanging a RED xmas tree ball or 3 or 4 out before your tomatoes start to ripen. let them peck on that.. mite discourage them (sometimes it works for me)


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## StinkBait (May 31, 2004)

MR. L. said:


> try hanging a RED xmas tree ball or 3 or 4 out before your tomatoes start to ripen. let them peck on that.. mite discourage them (sometimes it works for me)


Did pretty good with some red ornaments last spring. We have an ornamental bird bath that I tried keeping full for them to drink out of and that did not deter them. These days I have to pick the maters as soon as they show a sign of turning.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I plant cherry maters with mine & the birds usually peck those.


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## Mikeyhunts (Jun 4, 2007)

All I grow is Cherrys soâ€¦â€¦that kind of my problem!!! lol
Right now, Its more the strawberries they are relentless on.


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## Umpy I (Jul 23, 2013)

StinkBait said:


> Did pretty good with some red ornaments last spring. We have an ornamental bird bath that I tried keeping full for them to drink out of and that did not deter them. These days I have to pick the maters as soon as they show a sign of turning.


Pick the tomatoes as they blush, leave them on your kitchen counter and two days you are eating ripe tomaotes. Leave the knotty ones for the Mocking birds.


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## Johnny9 (Sep 7, 2005)

Mockingbirds are a dumb bird. Had one get into my barn and would not fly out the garage doors and I have 4 doors. All were open but it just kept high when it flew and would not go out any door. Tried for an hour with no success.

Our state bird should be either a Morning Dove or a Rio Grande Turkey.


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## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

They make a netting specifically for protecting plants. 
My father uses it on his tomatoes. He built an arbor out of cedar 1x2 and draped netting over. No more bird problems. He has used the same netting for 2 years and this will be the third without replacing it. 
He had previously tried all other recommended fixes (i.e. Christmas ornaments, plates, CDs, owl decoy etc.) heck he even tried one of my spinning wing duck decoys. 
It's available at Lowes and Home Depot. 
Search bird netting for gardens in Google.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

juan said:


> Mockingbirds are a dumb bird. Had one get into my barn and would not fly out the garage doors and I have 4 doors. All were open but it just kept high when it flew and would not go out any door. Tried for an hour with no success.
> 
> Our state bird should be either a Morning Dove or a Rio Grande Turkey.


I don't think they are stupid. Birds get confused & nervous when their put under stress. They no nothing about doors. If you leave the door open they will eventually leave but if your chasing them they panic. I have a lot of birds & thought like you that they are stupid. But after watching them for years I wouldn't say there stupid. Mocking birds are actually very unique & smart. I like most birds but the one I hate the most is a sparrow.
I like hawks but I don't like them when there trying to eat my chickens.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

When I was a young buck I spent my first days of summer down in Cuero hauling hay when I graduated from high school. I rode with my buddy who's dad owned the ranch we were working on and every day we parked under a big tree and hauled hay to their barn. About the second day we shut down and headed to the truck for a beer and the inside of the truck was trashed. The rear view mirror hanging sideways with blood all over it and everything on the dash was scattered and bloody. There was whitewash (bird Poop) aplenty. We cleaned it up and wondered what kind of varmint had gotten in the truck and drank a whole bunch of beer, not really worried about the truck. The next day, same thing. We finally wised up and rolled the windows way up to keep whatever it was out. We decided on about day four to take our breaks a little sooner because we were afraid our beer might go bad and we caught the culprit that was trashing the truck. Apparently we were parking under Mr. Mockingbird's house and he didn't like it. He had just about killed himself fighting the trucker mirrors on my buddy's truck, he had those round fish eye stick on things that make everything bigger on them. I had seen Red Birds do this too, but this Mockingbird was PO'd. We finally had to park at the barn. Hay hauling sure makes you want to drink beer.


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