Day 3
The enmity between farmers and birds is nothing new. The nightmare of pests ruining crops and wild animals destroying entire harvests is as old as farming itself. The old proverb, "If you can't beat them, join them," has been spinning in my mind all day. The blackbird digs in my vegetable garden up to eight times every day, and there have been quite a few casualties among the lettuce. Whenever I watch one side of the garden, it moves to the opposite side.
I know nothing about the "art of war"; actually, I loathe fighting. Besides, I think the bird has chicks. There’s no way a bird that size needs to eat that much. So I’m in a moral dilemma here: what will happen to the little birds if I decide to pull out the big guns? I’ve proven to be a terrible farmer, so chances are I’d be an even worse blackbird mom. I'm definitely not cut out for this kind of battle.
Here in Japan, there are many different birds in the field. Some of them eat insect pests and are helpful to farmers. Others prey upon mice and rats are also helpful. In a balanced ecosystems, there is a balance between prey and predators. Are there birds that feed upon blackbirds? Here in Japan, foxes often prey upon blackbirds. Unfortunately, fox numbers are in decline.
Thanks, @T-Newfields Aside from cats, I can't think of any other predators. One thing I noticed is that there many more birds, both in number and species, since the pandemic. However, stray cats are almost nonexistent
My condolences for the lettuce. We had a pair of juncos make a nest in our backyard last summer, and I loved watching the little chicks fledge. They were so cute, hopping around on the ground, haha. Watching the mom chase her babies around was very relatable, hahaha. It was like herding toddlers.