We have a large fig tree we inherited but never get any figs as the starlings descend en masse a week or so before they're ripe enough for hoomans and leave us not a one. Howver, a friend gave me a spare from her garden and I planted it in the veg plot and, so far, touch wood and all that, the birds have not discovered it so we've had a few luscious figs the last couple of years and hope for more this year.
We had 2 large Fig trees in France and always managed a good harvest as Starlings weren't that prevalent in our location at that time. In our last garden in the UK, we also had a mature fig tree and had pretty much the same problem as @Obelix-Vendée describes. However, Starling numbers have reportedly been dropping in the UK according to the RSPB.
That would be very unwise around much of the coast of the UK. Raw sewage is regularly pumped out by the various water companies
I dont think we get wild figs in the UK, mostly see them on wildlife programmes with monkeys and chimps eating them amongst other animals. I usually get a decent crop from my fig tree, brown turkey variety, squirrels and black birds are probably the ones that do the most damage, never seen starlings on there.
Yeah but we still get shell fish from our coast. The sewage thing is slightly over done IMO, as sewage has always been pumped into the sea, probably worse in days gone by. I was seeing something the other day where one particular beach has been blighted because of one water test back months ago, and its now considered not safe for the whole of this summer.
If you look into it you may well find US is not that different and it depends where you are on their shoreline.
I do know that mussels have to go through a cleaning process, involving keeping them in clean seawater for several days prior to sale, this also reduces their shelf life when shipped. Probably the same for other filter feeding shellfish. The exception being if they are from "Class A" water.
I like mussels, but I would think oysters and cockles would be similar. Used to have cockles as a youngster, can't stand the things. Scallops and oysters are for the posh people.
