Happy again to be sharing gardening stories with #hivegarden!
I have to keep reminding myself that the following is a natural process, beyond the skills of mortal me to stop.
Once again Mamma Blackbird is doing her thing.
When she's not saving us from the ravages of earthworms, small seedlings and assorted ground dwelling bugs, Mamma Blackbird has a crucial role to play in the ecosystem of 
Out in the wilds of, unguardened, Nature (which I try to replicate small parts of here in our garden) her efforts redistribute organic material, as mulch, over bare, unprotected soil. In our little garden, she sees our pathways and paved areas as barren spots, damaged and in need of covering and protecting so that the ecology can start repair work.
Ultimately, my need for clean paths and pavers shrinks in comparison to Mamma Blackbird's instinctive drives.
We have a deal with her, one of several deals we have made with the critters who live in our garden. She can raise her babies in relative peace if she leaves the wicking beds alone. That seems to be working. A bit of disturbed mulch is really here nor there.
Another deal we have is with rats. I often found a single half eaten Plum or Tomato on the ground, so I asked that, if they can have one of each, everyday while in season, the rats will leave the rest of the crop untouched.
Striking a deal seems to be working so far with the Tomatoes at the back of the house but not with the Plums in the front garden. Maybe I should up the ante...? Two Plums anyone?
