Dakota Gardener: Battling birds for fruit

I love my cherry shrub—but so do the birds.

As soon as the fruits begin to redden, every bird in the neighborhood flocks to the shrub. The birds aren’t picky about the sweetness of the cherries, and half of the fruits are eaten before they ripen.

Once the fruits ripen, the ultimate battle begins.

I chase the birds away and harvest as many of the remaining fruits as I can. The birds fight back, but...