The blackbirds will eat the grapes, eventually. But they may have to be at a certain stage of ripeness! Some berries get eaten straight away and others are left until later. A bit like kids with their greens on their plate!!

Sounds like a "Count your blessings" situation! :-)

They have not eaten my grapes so far this year. I read a comment that all berry/fruit crops have been fantastic this year. So perhaps they all have had ample sufficiency and feel ill at the thought of grape munching!!

Our vine has been almost stripped now, thanks to Starlings & Blackbirds! : o ((

Redcurrants were always the first to go. Perhaps, like blackcurrants, grapes escape notice. I've got my blackcurrants in my chicken run, and they're only eaten if I throw them on the ground. But then, it's chickens, and they have a certain something lacking upstairs. In the wild, elderberries get taken, and they're black, although glossy. I wonder if it's the native fruit versus the introduced stuff. My figs get attacked as they ripen but by only one bird, a blackcap, which is a migrant from climes where figs grow naturally. Sounds like a topic for a thesis. Too much here for an exam question! Phil

Thanks for the useful comments. Yes, I am glad the birds and squirrels leave the grapes alone. Just wish they wouldn't eat the tiny peaches and walnuts.

Once the squirrels discover your nuts they broadcast the news or get followed 'he looks plump let's see where he goes'. My hazel nut tree has shed its nuts so its mining the lawn time now to rescent them or have a snack. If they eat them they leave a hole. If they reinter them they disguise the extraction. Crafty creatures.

Just literally watched a blackbird noshing our grapes in the garden not ten minutes ago, its very wet, and miserable here and they are obviously enjoying them.

Ditto ... been watching the Armistice Day service on TV ... male Blackbird in & out the whole time ... sometimes eats them right away ... other times takes them away to eat later! Drizzly & grey down here again.... : o ((((

Just been to Ally Pally to an antique fair, drove back in slow moving traffic. Met a couple of ratty hornblowers on the way back. Dreary November day along the north circular road. Looked out the kitchen window and Mr Blackbird is on the grapes now, feasting to cheer himself up. Do they broadcast to one another......Oi the grapes are ready lads!!!!!?

Blimey Dorjac, not heard of Ally Pally for a few years! Hope you found a bargain there. It must be some kind of telepathy between the birds.......

Huge fair, sometimes on Bargain Hunt Shirley. My friend collects dolls and their stuff, but sells off others at the same time! She loves restoring and dressing old dolls. I collect something no ones ever heard of.......sewing items like needlecases and tape measures and bone and metal dipping pens with a Stanhope lens in hole on the knob or handle, with views of almost anywhere. They go from 1860 to now. Difficult to spot or use a specialist dealer. The vine leaves are spectacular at the moment.

This may surprise you, Dorjac, but I HAVE heard of Stanhopes! They are the most amazing things, sometimes a bit saucy too! Our vine leaves are falling now, I hope that's supposed to happen? lol !

Vicious frost this morning Shirley. A friend is coming to take down the grapes later today. It's up for discussion about whether he prunes the vine today as well. I think there is someone interested in the grape juice. I am surprised you know about Stanhopes. I bought a bone fish needle case. The view is (non saucy) in the screw stopper in its mouth of the domed church in Paris. I have a clay pipe with a nude and 2 nudes in a tiny metal binoculars. They are in cigarette holders and cherroot holders too and watch keys.....so much variety.

Good luck in your hunt for them. : o ))