Birds and fruit trees - problem?

black birds will go for the berries and starlings will go for the apples, but you can cover them with netting ,but be shore to pin it down well on the soft fruit as blackbirds can get under anything that has the smallest gap. a point about apples I have never seen starlings go for healthyfruit,

Cherries are more attractive than any other fruit to birds, so you will definitely need to protect that one.
Our neighbours here, hard bitten old farmers who have years of experience, protect their cherry trees by hanging a very realistic model owl from the branches.
I've heard of others using hawks.
It really does seem to work.

The owl sounds like a great idea and easy enough to do, i will definitely look into that, thanks Betiefox.

What kind of netting should i use? Should i cover just the tree or wrap it round the entire container? Whats the best way?

at one end of my garden there is a huge bird cherry tree, and you have be cairfull that you don't slip on the stones droped on the pathes, but the blackbirds will still clear the black currents if permited. the cherries come second to blackcurrents with our blackbirds,

you can buy a fine mesh netting for this. do you intend to have your plants on your patio or are you thinking of buying a fruit cage? mabe not cost effective.
an elderly neighbour throws old net curtains over her bushes just before the fruit ripen.

Thanks for all the tips:) you are as helpful as ever!