Culprit Revealed

Every spring I await the beautiful tulips in my gardens. And for the past few years, something very strange has been going on – someone or something is snapping their pretty little heads off!


It is a precise chop right at the top of the stem. Every morning, very early, I look out to see how they are doing and invariably the morning comes when I see the damage done. A beautiful tulip head just kind of flopped over.


The first year I saw it, of course I blamed my dog, Ollie. At the time, he was an only child so he got all the blame. I just looked at him and shook my head because he can’t help the fact that he tromps all over everything in sight - and if a cat should happen to sit outside the fence and tease him, all hell breaks loose – delicate flowers or not. I lost 3 or 4 tulips that way the first year.


But last year, I was looking out the window and actually saw what was happening. A bird – I think it was a mocking bird – swooped down and with the precision of a fighter jet – sliced the head off the tulip! I couldn't’t believe what I was seeing. I had never heard of this and have only seen it the one time. The bird didn’t even stop to admire his handiwork – he flew right off without a backward glance.


This morning, history is repeating itself. One of my little tulips chopped down in her prime. I wondered if anyone has had this experience and wondered what the heck was going on. Now you know!