This is the first year my parents have had a fruiting lychee tree. It's a Mauritius, and over the past few days, the crows as well as a few squirrels have raided the tree and taken 1/3 to 1/2 of the crop. The crows will circle overhead, come down and take a lychee or even a couple at once, then fly to the nearby roof, eat them, and then come down for more.
As a result, we decided to pick a good amount of the remaining fruit, and tie nets around the bunches of less mature lychees on the tree.
As the tree gets larger, it will become impractical to place nets around each bunch of fruits.
Any suggestions? Or is it just luck of the draw as to the location you live in, and whether or not the birds discover the fruits that year?
Brad