Scott, I have the same problem with Mockingbirds and with Thrashers. They will peck at all my fruit - citrus, stone fruit, figs. I have had success with mylar strips. My yard looks ridiculous, but at least I'm keeping fruit from the birds. Squirrels, however, are a different issue. I have resorted to poison bait stations as no amount of shooting with a pellet gun or humane trapping (and we have to then dispatch with the squirrels, as it is illegal to trap and release them here in San Diego county), has not made a dent in our ridiculous ground and tree squirrel population. It is a battle every year for stone fruit. We cannot have cats outside here because of our high coyote population. The cat would be gone in a day. Even though we have a VERY high number of predators here - hawks, kites, falcons, eagles, Great Horned owls, Barn owls, foxes, weasels, bobcats, coyotes, roadrunners, snakes galore (at least 4 or 5 different kinds), we still have a huge squirrel and rat problem. I even have a Barn own house on my property (which I think was used this year, haven't taken it down to check, but have a resident Barn owl we see often in the evening). Actually, one of my three Aussies has become the official "squirrelinator", having gotten 3 of them over the last 3 months. He is really smart and REALLY quick. Patty S.

As I said in the original message, they are on the ground. No, they are not split. The lemon insides are there perfectly, just as if you or I peeled it, only the rind is eaten.

Is the bird allowed to roam freely in your home? If so, it could have shredded a few leaves. My friend's mom had a parakeet that they let out sometimes. When they weren't looking it often would shred the paper towel roll or a magazine. It didn't take long either, couple minutes of them not looking. It was like the bird watched them and as soon as their eyes were off it, zoom! shredding done, lol!

No catherinet- I saw the hawk eat the bird food seed and suet. The brown area he is standing on is a pile of no mess bird seed with suet chunks. I trust my eyes but since it was so unusual I wanted to double check. The only thing the hawk was killing that morning was the bird seed.