I've got one of these "minarette" Cherry trees, you know...those ones that are grafted on to a dwarf rootstock.
Anyway, it's covered with cherries but the birds are eating them before they are ripe! I've had the tree for about 10 years and have never eaten a ripe cherry from it!
I've tried netting and hanging CD's from it and everything to try and keep the birds away but they don't care! I was wondering if it is possible to pick the cherries and they then ripen off the tree like you can with tomatos etc?
Sorry dampen your spirits, we had one, and in the end, I got rid of it, just never got to taste the fruit. although its possible someone on here has come up with an ingenius idea, and will share it with you.