Blueberry Bowl

I have 11 blueberry bushes that I have had producing for 25 years, and every summer I get about 4 gallons of blueberries to eat, bake with, and freeze. This year was different. I watched my blueberries for a few weeks before time to pick and saw that they were starting to get ripe and, as always, I went to pick them the first picking in July, just before going camping, and every single ripe berry was gone. I was so upset and could not figure out where they went.
We have a small apartment in the basement of my house and so I asked the renters if they knew what happened, but they did not. I even thought the neighbors kids might have picked them.
One day my renter called me and told me that he saw birds all over my blueberries. So, sure enough, the birds were the thieves.

I talked to my friends, who have blueberry bushes also, and they said the same thing happened to them. Evidently, there is a bird that is not typically native to this area, but because the weather is so different this summer, the migration patterns of this bird have been changed. The bird is called a Cedar Waxwing, and they look like little thieves with black masks over their eyes.

So, here is the only blueberries I was able to get this year, and I am so proud of getting them. I am treasuring every single berry. I may get another small picking, if the birds don't get them first.

My friend, who knows all about these birds, and grows blueberries too, is hoping that the weather will return to normal next year and we won't have a visit from these little thieves.

I know the birds need to eat too, and I really have not minded sharing in the past, but I have never had my blueberries stripped like they were this year.

Sorry to ramble on so much about blueberries, but they have been a favorite pastime, memory and food that I have enjoyed for many years.

Hope you are all having a great day!