Caught in the act!

[ideasguy]

I planted 50 tulips in a frenzy on Wednesday - yes, very late I know, but...

Looking casually out the kitchen window yesterday I saw a blackbird picking at something white.
Later when I had a look, it had dug up one of my plantings and had picked the side out of one of my tulips!
So - THATS why they don't always appear

They love apples, and I store the excess each year and throw them to the birds during the winter months.
The blackbirds seem to love them.

I usually cut them in 2 pieces.
There were some beside the spot where the theft occured

However, they pick the windfalls as most of you will know.
Cute little things - they pick the very BEST ones and ignore the smaller and the greener ones

[Palustris]

It is possible that the Tulip had a bug inside of it which the blackbird was eating rather than the bulb itself.
We lost around 2,000 tulip bulbs to the badgers in the last garden so one to a blackbird is unfortunate, but not massive. 

[ideasguy]

so one to a blackbird is unfortunate, but not massive.

Ah, but that is the one I caught on
My sister has a massive wild bird "collection" and complains about no tulips