Birds & Grapes...

I wonder if we’re tempting fate!! Here is the bird feeder that Gwilym rigged up this week, we've always had a lot of birds visit for a feed of native bird seed but it was all getting a tad messy inviting mice and rats to visit - all gone now thankfully but - YUCK!
Since Gwil made this feeder hardly a moment has passed without a pair of Lorikeets enjoying a feed - but - what about these Grapes?? There is a long story about these grape vines... when we built our home 26 years ago we were looking for vines that lost their leaves in autumn so we could have maximum sun shining into the house and heating up the slate floor during winter. (BTW it works wonders) David's father, a wonderful gardener in Canberra insisted we put in real grape vines because why put in fake ones!! He made us lots of cuttings so we trained at least a dozen Improved Isabella or Red or White Muscatels up the Pergola to give us wonderful shade in summer. BUT... the grapes were sour and horrible, the birds and possums got to them and made a squishy mess underfoot that was trodden inside the house inviting ants... we tried tying the bunches inside bags, we tried all sorts of bird deterrents but to cut a long story short gave up about 10 years ago and every year when the bunches start to show we or Jenny climb up and down the ladder cutting the new bunches off which give the leaves a better change of giving us more shade on hot days... it works wonders but this year I've spotted two or three bunches that missed the chop!!
I have my eyes on them and they are doing wonderfully well but... will the Birds or Possums find them before they are ready to taste??? That is the question... so stay tuned LOL