Mockingbirds, Cardinals, and One Very Polite Squirrel Are Eating All My Figs

My fig tree is bursting with fruit. I thought I’d be the one harvesting—turns out I’m just managing a wildlife buffet.

I have a beautiful, large fig tree in my yard. This year it is filled with figs. The figs are starting to turn ripe. I love fresh figs so you might think I am really excited to go out and make my harvest each day. Well, there are other living creatures just as excited about my figs as I am. The Mockingbirds and cardinals show up. They’re dainty eaters. They’ll peck at a fig as if they’re looking for one with the perfect taste. I didn’t know they had such discerning palettes.  Yesterday I saw another creature who decided to come to the fig banquet. It was a squirrel. He was sitting on a branch in my fig tree with a fig in between his two paws and eating it as if he were in a five star diner. I didn’t bother scaring him away, and I don’t bother the mockingbirds or the cardinals either. First come first serve is what I say. And in this case, it’s the mockingbirds, cardinals and squirrels are winning. I’m hoping they’re kind enough to leave me a few. So far, I have been able to find two or three figs each day that they haven’t found. I’m hoping my luck continues.

🤔 3 Figgy Questions to Ponder:

1. Have you ever found unexpected joy in sharing nature’s bounty with wildlife?
2. How do you decide when to defend your garden vs. enjoy the spectacle?
3. What does it say about us when we choose generosity over control—even with squirrels?