birds eating my bean plants

I have been astonished this year to find birds eating my bean plants.  The next door neighbor has a huge garden ..untouched by the birds..all done in neat rows with her veggies waving  on either side of black dirt paths; my little patch of beans are mixed up with tomatoes and corn and marigolds and I maybe have a dozen plants left.  I didn't know what was doing them in until I caught a bird in the act but even some of the ones it hasn't yet completely denuded it has taken off the growing tip. These aren't just bean seeds the plants that are anywhere from 2-10 inches have been eaten. I don't know what sort of bird it is..it isn't very big, looks something like a robin (but isn't). It has knocked over some tomato plants but seems not to have touched the young corn, which seems weird.  (yet...  maybe when it finishes off my beans )

Anyone else had this problem? Suggestions?

Maybe a row cover for a few days to see if it might lose interest?

As for it not eating your neighbors, that bird just knows where the good stuff is!

There is no other way than netting. Birds are smart and they know that shiny CD's are shiny CD's and a scarecrow is a scarecrow and a false hawk wouldn't do it either.

Bird netting will not work for all birds.  Last year I had encircled some seedlings with chicken wire to keep the cat out of the new "sandbox" he knew I had made for him.  One day I noticed a tiny bird sitting on a tomato plant.  When I approached, he flew through the chicken wire!