 It's very hard to grow tomatoes. You have to actually pick them as they just barely start to turn orange. If you wait too long and get them vine-ripe and you've got a mockingbird around, there's going to be all kinds of holes in that tomato. Your best defense is to put bird netting around your tomatoes and maybe sing a bit to distract them. Learn more about mockingbirds and listen to their sounds at livingthecountrylife.com. I'll see you in the country.