Despite the drought and the scorching temperatures my garden has survived, barely and then only possible because of my rainwater tank.

I have always netted the fruit trees and covered the vegetable garden in shade cloth, securely fastened against marauders.

These tactics have not always been successful.

This year, without water, my grape vine was set to have a bumper crop.

That is, until the bush telegraph started, and the Satin Bowerbirds arrived, followed swiftly by the Eastern Koels and Australasian Figbirds.

Even the grapes in exclusion bags disappeared, long before they were ripe and not one was eaten by a human.

One morning I found my newly transplanted tomato and bean seedlings had also magically disappeared.

On closer inspection I noticed they had been nipped off at ground level, and again the suspect culprits were the Bowerbirds in cohort with the Blackbirds.

In fact, the Bowerbirds thought my garden was a playpen and managed with ease to find and navigate gaps in the nets.

The final insult was the Fig tree. It had been covered in small hard fruit for many weeks. Perhaps because of the drought the fruit had not grown or ripened, until, a few weeks again a very small shower of rain triggered some growth and within days the fruit started to swell.

This fact did not go unnoticed, and whole avian families arrived.

Young immature Figbirds, a juvenile Pied Currawong and its parent, a juvenile Eastern Koel and Bowerbirds young and old, all gobbling down my unripe figs.

It was an incredible sight I was so enthralled by the squabbling and the coming and going of these birds that I watched for ages, of course with my camera in hand.

You might think that I should have netted the tree. Well I did, until I came out one morning to find a male Koel, caught in the net hanging by his feet, so I took the net off.

After all, I would rather have the birds visit and the small amount of produce I can save from their visits is sufficient for my needs.