A Peaceful Blue Jay

A Peaceful Blue Jay

It was early morning. The feeders, while usually covered with hungry birds, were empty except for one visitor – a Blue Jay. It was unusual to see a single jay without a mate. Jays mate for life and are particularly social creatures. But perhaps this bird was young and had not found its mate yet, though they mate early, usually when they are about one year old.

As I watched, I noticed there was something different about the bird. This jay wasn’t calling out or imitating other birds’ calls. It wasn’t jiggling around on the feeder as it generally does. Its crest was resting flat against its head instead of being up and spiky; the crest will extend upward when a jay is agitated or on alert for some reason. The bird seemed to be enjoying a rare moment of quiet. I stood at the window while it continued eating, half expecting a crop of other jays to join in. It didn’t happen. When the jay finished its meal, it took off, leaving the feeder swinging after its departure.

The funny thing was that although I was excited to see it, I could sense the bird’s peaceful state. And why not? We can tune into other people’s energy, know when they are happy or sad, angry or joyful, even when they aren’t doing anything specific. It’s etched on the face and radiates outward. We can feel a dog’s emotions, respond to our pet cat’s restlessness. Why shouldn’t we be receptive  to other creatures' energy as well?

Later in the morning, the feeders were crowded with finches and cardinals and yes, Blue Jays. Everything was aflutter then, not peaceful at all. I was glad that the Blue Jay had a calm start to its day and thankful that I was able to share it.

For a full description of Blue Jay life and behavior:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue_jay/lifehistory

Mating behavior of the Blue Jay:

http://www.birdhouses101.com/blue-jay-mating.asp

Young Blue Jays

Young Blue Jays

A couple of young Blue Jays, just coming into their feathers and colors, were recently spotted on the feeders. They may be fledglings but their heft jiggles the feeders when they land and shakes them when they leave.

We seem to have a few Blue Jay families in the area. I know that some can be migratory but short of banding these particular birds, I can only guess they are year-round residents. That suits me just fine. A friend in the UK said that they don’t get such colorful birds so it makes me all the more appreciative that we do. Several things that may help them to stay: the feeders, of course, as they like nuts and seeds, the pine trees out back which provide good nesting opportunities, and the oak tree in our front yard that supplies an abundance of acorns. I discovered that Blue Jays love acorns. So these young birds will have a nice source of food to enjoy now and stash for later.  

The awkwardness of the young, whether avian or human, changes as they grow into themselves. They adapt to their environment and develop survival skills that help them progress to competence. These Blue Jays are already beginning to smooth out their spiky head feathers and exhibit a confidence in their grip on the feeders. What a treat to see.

Practically everything you can think of to ask about Blue Jays is answered here:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue_jay/lifehistory

Blue Jay and an Empty Feeder

Blue Jay and an Empty Feeder

I was enjoying a peaceful moment on my patio out back on one of the last delightful summer days when I heard a Blue Jay call out. It wasn’t unusual for the jays to visit our backyard. They would usually land on the feeder with such a thump from their hefty bodies that the other birds would almost be flung off their perches.

Because I was reading, it took me a while to realize that I was hearing a lot of Blue Jay calls, the raucous cry that sounds like a squeaky door. When I paid attention I could pinpoint the cries from tree to tree and follow the bird’s movements so I knew that it was close. I saw the leaves flutter in the surrounding trees as the jay moved about. It wasn’t mating season so I wondered if it was in distress. Usually when a bird seems frantic it is warning of a predator in the neighborhood. Was there a hawk around? I looked up but didn’t see any evidence of one.

Was it just being aggressive? Blue Jays are known to be territorial and will go after an intruder be it a bird, a squirrel, a cat, sometimes even a human. But that is mostly at nesting time.

When I went inside and happened to look out my kitchen window, I saw a jay practically wrapped around one of the bird feeders, which, I noticed, was empty. Could that have been the reason for its vocal outburst? Blue Jays eat such a variety of foods - nuts, fruits, seeds, insects, mice, grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars – surely a lack of sunflowers seeds should not have caused such verbal outrage. But maybe it was so used to this particular source of a meal that it wanted to make its dissatisfaction plain.

I don’t claim to understand nature nor have I observed it sufficiently to make any confident conclusions about what I see. I occasionally note consistencies so it is sometimes tempting to come to a conclusion but then I am often surprised. This applies to people, too. Motives, desire, necessity, instinct affect us all and make even the most usual unpredictable at times.

In this case, I just went out and filled the feeders. Several jays came around later and partook of the bounty. Perhaps one of them was the bird I had heard earlier, perhaps not. My desire is to provide seed for the birds who find their way to the feeders, at least most of the time. I guess the Blue Jay’s desire is to eat it.

Listen to the Blue Jay – and other birds:

http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=5

The Ways of Blue Jays…and Others

The Blue Jay family has spotted our feeders. Each day they plop their hefty bodies on one perch or another and munch away. Larger than a robin though smaller than a crow, they have presence. The smaller birds like the finches and sparrows scurry off to settle on our roof until the feeders stop shaking when the jays arrive. Watching from my kitchen window, I am quite taken by these birds.

One morning I took a photo when the Blue Jay was feeding. I could not tell if it was the male or female as they both have the same coloring. I watched for a while until the bird flew off. I put my camera away, prematurely it seems, because when I looked back the Blue Jay was there again and then a male Cardinal with its bright red feathers came along. And then a bright yellow male Goldfinch joined them. There was a bird rainbow right outside my window! I was glued to the sight. I finally ran to get my camera again but they were gone. The Blue Jay returned for another meal later in the day.

The colors and markings of birds are riveting. They add to the sense of the various species. Yet it is more the way they act that defines them. Birds have personalities both as a group and as individuals. Kind of like people. We often identify with groups that have similar interests but act individually within those groups. Blue Jays, for instance, will eat eggs of other birds but they will vigorously defend their own nestlings. People can be adamant about politics but can set aside dogma to help a neighbor in need. I guess we all, birds and humans, show our colors in different ways.

Some general Blue Jay facts:

http://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/bluejay.htm

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/blue-jay/

For you true birders who want to identify Blue Jay calls:

http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=5