Netting...this is the best deterrent for birds. However, if it's huge trees, you'll have a heck of a time getting the nets over them without big ladders.
Screen box....this might get a little hard to do for taller plants, but you can box in your babies with screen and posts. Or maybe a teepee type structure with your netting over it.
Pie plates and other noise makers....these can be used to deter but sometimes the birds catch on and ignore them. Tie them with string to a pole in the middle of your garden next to those plants you don't want them touching. Try a radio set to a news station. This usually deters birds since there are actual talking voices not singing ones on.
If it's seeds your missing, then try a seed coating repellent found at your local garden store or you can use 1 tablespoon turpentine per half pound of seeds. Soak 2-3 days.
Oats...birds don't like them much. Interplant them with your corn and other plants. The oats usually sprout first and birds find somewhere else to go instead. They usually don't figure out that the good stuff comes up next until it's already well established as a plant.
Decoy plants....plant chokecherries, dogwood, mulberries, and other type bushes around your crops because birds prefer those to your good stuff.
UPDATE:
I've had emails from people with birds digging up their container plants. Chicken wire is the best method to keep them out. You will need wire cutters and a good sense of how to cut to fit it into the pot around existing plants. Perhaps the birds are just trying to get at bugs/worms in your pots. If that is the case, thank them and let them continue. If they are making a huge mess, then find out what bug is in your pot and get rid of them (preferably organically) and the birds may stop coming. Watch the birds for awhile, see if they pick up bugs or not. If they don't pick up any bugs, then the wire is your best bet. Any wire will do so long as it's stiff enough that they can't dig through it or pull it up. Nylon, cloth, and plastic generally won't work, but it may keep them away anyways if they can't get to the dirt right away.
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