Let us know if it works--I am thinking of doing the same, and I've had my eye on a gorgeous stone bird bath anyway.
I always try to wait for the first tomato to get fully ripe, but I have finally learned that I have to pick tomatoes a tad early (with plenty of color) and let them finish ripening inside.

I feel your pain as well. Never had a bird problem with the toms until this year. They started in on the cherry tomatoes then moved onto the Big Beefs. I was expecting a good haul a month or so ago, but then the birds started to get them just as they started to turn color. Tried the netting but they would still get in between my overlapped wrapping. Little #!^%'s would hop around the netting looking for any weakness. They wouldn't stick to just one tom. No! They'd make a small hole in one then move on to the next one. I got a few more tomatoes, but I just pulled the plants today.

Most of my toms are in my greenhouse, so its not much of a problem, but for you it sounds like a bird bath and bird table is a good investment. Give them something they want more than your toms!

If it's any comfort to you, this can vary from year to year. This year, I have not had a single birdpeck. Hallelujah! However, in the past, I learned to pick the tomatoes as soon as they began to blush and take them inside to finish ripening. As my brother says, "The worst homegrown tomato is still way better than the best storebought one."

I've always provided water for the birds...just because I like birds. Maybe I'm talking too early but I've never had them touch my tomatoes.

Pretty decorative bird baths are a nice addition to the garden but arent a necessity. Terra cotta saucers are cheap and blend in nicely but just about any shallow dish will work.
You mentioned a filled kiddie pool...this isnt a good idea IMO. The edges are too slick for them to land on. It also needs to be shallow enough for them to stand in.

good luck with your maters and birds :)

Tulle, or wedding net, is great. You can let it float over the tomatoes, attach it to cages with clothespins, and the birds can't get them.

Do remember that birds that eat fruit usually eat bugs, too, so you do get a return.

We have a "bird berry" area in the far corner of the garden that's theirs to pick, a thicket of wild strawberries, black raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. The robins, thrashers, tanagers and such keep it picked clean, but our insect problems in the garden are few, and never serious.

Agree with Donna. If you pick the fruit at the breaker (blush) stage as most experienced gardeners recommend then you eliminate this problem and many others like splitting, stink bugs, etc. too.

You lose a lot and gain nothing by leaving the fruit on the stem until it is fully red/ripe.

Dave

From what I understand, birds and squirrels, your typical backyard wildlife, don't really care for vegetables, particularly tomatoes. Although I know squirrels LOVE corn. Anyways, as mentioned above, they are probably looking to get a drink, and they've found plenty of liquid in your tomatoes. As also mentioned, putting out a bird bath will provide them the water they are looking for. We feed the birds here, and have a birdbath as well, and have never had issues with birds damaging anything, except fruit. They love raspberries and such, but those things spread so fast, that a few missing berries is ok. Oh, and if/when you put out a birdbath, you'll start getting algae growth in it after a few days. To combat this, put some copper into the water. Pennies are not copper, so they won't work. I just tossed a 6" piece of bare copper wire into the bath, and I don't get algae at all.

Birds can be a good thing to help eat bugs from your garden, so attracting them isn't all that bad. Good luck!

Joe

In agreement with Donna and Dave.

The problem varies from year to year. Last year I lost a lot early ... this year none. Have always had a number of bird baths in the yard. That doesn't seem to matter one way or the other.

After late May when it got too hot to hand water and it was time to pull out the sprinkler, I kept the watering times close to dusk. Did notice cardinals in the garden a number of times, but they were obviously going after insects instead of my tomatoes.

Picking before fully ripe is also a good idea.

I agree with Natal. We live in a bird sanctuary. We love birds ourselves and have for years kept three large birdbaths as well as feeders. We also grow tomatoes. Some years are worse than others for birds pecking tomatoes. I have no idea why. This year, the birds are going after the grape tomatoes if I leave them on the vine until they turn just light red. The only solution I have found to prevent birds pecking tomatoes is to pull the tomatoes when they first blush and take them inside to finish ripening.

My problems with the pecked areas in my toms seems to always happen in the fall. I can go all summer long without any problems. Come fall, the pecking starts. I was guessing it may be a lack of food for the birds and maybe lack of water. I start picking early later in the season. That has been the only way I can eat what I grow when the weather starts to cool off.

I hung an aluminum pie plate over one of my tomato plants [on the end of the row] because birds were defecating on that plant....works

thanks wayne... I heard cd's work too. I saw a blueberry farmer using those.

I've found that if I pick my tomatoes when they just start to go pink and then let them ripen on the table in our outdoor area the birds, grubs etc don't get them. The flavor is still great. It is so disappointing when you finally get the fruit almost ready to pick that something spoils the party.