There are hundreds of old sweet cherry trees growing along this road, and just a few sour cherry trees. In the normal course of events, the birds are no problem. They eat the sweet cherries on the top third of the trees, which is dandy because the trees are full sized and too tall to pick. And (glutted on sweet fruit) they leave the sour cherries–mostly dwarf Montmorency’s–alone.
This year a late frost on just the wrong day erased the sweet cherry crop entirely. There’s not a single cherry on all those hundreds of sweet cherry trees, so the birds are turning their attention to the sour cherries instead. 
This is Miss Roberta’s cherry tree. Aren’t they luscious?
This is what it takes to keep the birds away from such tender, brightly colored fruits.
At 95, Miss Roberta’s cherry tree strategy is: One for the birds; and one for me.
I love the cherry tree cover. That is what the Gray’s used to do in Putney. Also for blue berries. They used cheese cloth I think.
Cute !