I saw something on another plottie today that I am going to do - some may have seen this or done it, but I thought I would share it with you.
To scare the birdies away from your fruit, take an empty plastic soft drink bottle, and the idea is, you are going to make 3 rectangles but only cut out 3 sides of the rectangle to form a flap. The flaps should all be facing the same way and be opened out. The bottles are then placed over a tall bamboo and something - a nail for example - is poked through the top into the bamboo to hold it loosely in place. The idea is, these flaps catch wind and spin the bottle very fast creating a humming rattling sound. The flaps also catch the light and reflect, frightening the birds.
Good bit of recycling and a way to keep the birds away if a fruit cage isn't practical. ;D