A Sad Story

My blueberry season has come to an abrupt end.

This was to have been about blueberry muffins, but last night while gathering ingredients for the muffins I glanced out the back window and noticed there was a bird flying around inside the net surrounding my blueberry bush. I had just put the net on last weekend with the intention of getting one more good picking and then leaving it off. Even with the net on, the birds had continued to congregate there – it made me think of one of those suet blocks in a wire cage. The birds would perch on the net and fish out a blueberry from inside.

Anyway, I headed down to the basement and outdoors to try to free the bird. When I got closer I realized there were two birds flying around inside. I started pulling up the stakes and trying to untangle the net from the bush. Then I saw it – there was a dead bird on top of my blueberry bush, under the net, with his head caught in the net. I think he strangled trying to get out. Until that point I had been thinking I would remove the net, pick as much as I could before dark, and then leave the net off. Suddenly these blueberries lost their appeal.

So then the rescue and recovery mission began. The two birds flew out without much ado. In fact, I didn’t even notice when they finally escaped. It was a little more difficult to remove the dead bird. I was squeamish and he was really trapped in the net. I ended up having to cut a piece out of the net to free him. Now the entire net and the bird are sitting in front of my house waiting for the trash pickup.

I did make blueberry muffins last night (with berries picked last week). I ate one and gave the rest away.

I am leaving the remaining blueberries for the birds.