Sharing with the Fauna

            The local fauna is definitely taking unfair advantage of us. Yes—we had our Montclair backyard certified as a wildlife habitat. I provide birds with seeds and fresh water and lots of places for them to nest and for small animals to hide. So wouldn’t it be fair if they left us a share of each fruit we’ve planted?

            I really don’t mind that the birds eat all the wild blackberries; after all, they planted them. Though those brambles have become so thick that I can’t get close enough to harvest cherries. Who am I kidding? We saw plenty of blossoms on the cheery tree this spring, then saw small, green orbs on their way to becoming fruit. That was all. Before they could turn red, they were gone.

            The nectarine tree is a total loss too. We planted that about five years ago and have given up hope of ever eating a nectarine. I can’t blame the birds for that, however. Some insect bores into the small, developing fruit, causing it to ooze nectar. Then it turns dark and falls off. I thought to head off those insects this year by purchasing traps that lure the insects. The traps seem to have worked. They are full of small dead nectarine-destroyers. But apparently I did not get enough of them because we lost all those nectarines once again.

            We share our pears unwillingly with a squirrel. He helps himself way before they are ripe—still only about a third their final size. Every day he appears in the tree top and picks a pear. I’ve yelled, “Stop thief!” But he calmly takes a bite and drops the rest to the ground.  Last year he seemed to have entered into a contract with the groundhog who dared the closeness of our back door every morning to finish off the partially eaten pear. So far this year the groundhog is ignoring pears. Maybe he, like us, wants them riper. I hope he’ll soon help himself to the squirrel’s leavings. I hate the waste.

            I’m thankful that at least there’s an abundance of raspberries. The birds leave just enough for our breakfast. They must be too stuffed on cherries, seeds and blackberries.