Tag Archives: Western Scrub Jay

•

This is something you don't see very often, if at all. But here is photographic evidence, this time by Lloyd Kreuser. He saw a Western Scrub Jay perched on the back of a fawn. If you look closely, you can see the jay has some of the fawn's hair in its beak.

Last month Eric Zetterholm photographed a Cowbird on the back of a Doe. You can view that post at this link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2020/07/19/eric-zetterholm-photographed-a-hitchhiking-bird-a-rare-photo/

Thanks to Lloyd for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

Early morning fog has given way to brilliant sunshine. No smoke from the wildfires and I'm happy to tell you that Highway One to our south has reopened.

•

George Marshall has a birdbath at his Sea Ranch home. A small group of Golden-crowned Sparrows spotted it and came down for a nice bath.

Gold-crowned Sparrows taking a bath by George Marshall

Another fun birdbath photo was taken by Jim Garlock at his home in Gualala.

SONY DSC

This is a very wet Western Scrub Jay and it appears to be glaring at Jim.

Putting in a birdbath is guaranteed to give you pleasure while helping the birds that grace us with their presence.

Thanks to  George and Jim for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

•

Two big Jays call the Mendonoma Coast home. Robert Scarola had one of each species land on his fence recently. First is the distinctive Steller's Jay.

And below is a Western Scrub Jay. Both jays love black sunflower seeds so it is easy to attract them to your bird feeder. For the past three years we have had a Steller's Jay nest in a big bush of Laurel. By the time the babies emerge, they are nearly the size of the adults.

Thanks to Robert for allowing me to show you the two common Jays of the Coast.

•

Siegfried Matull photographed a juvenile Western Scrub Jay all "puffed up." He caught the bird molting - growing in its new feathers. For instance, the gray feathers on its head are being replaced with blue ones.

Jays completely molt once a year, an activity that takes place in times of low stress - after nesting and before migration. Other birds that have a complete molt are Chickadees, Flycatchers, Hawks, Hummingbirds, Owls, Swallows, Thrushes, Vireos and Woodpeckers. It's an amazing phenomenon, don't you think? To completely replace each and every feather, that is a lot of energy expended.

To learn more about molting and much, much more about birds, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: cornell lab of ornithology

Thanks to Siegfried for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

•

Adrian Bennett put up a fake Owl in the hopes that it would scare off some of the numerous Jays that come to her feeder as she prefers to feed the smaller birds. You will see how well this worked.

This Western Scrub Jay is probably thinking, "Thanks, Adrian, for the nice perch."

There is a true pecking order at the bird feeder Rick and I have up. First the Acorn Woodpeckers, then the Jays - Western Scrub and Steller. After these bigger birds, the smaller ones feed. Some appreciate the seeds that were knocked to the ground by the Jays, particularly the Spotted Towhees. The birds seem to get along and know their place in this pecking order.

Thanks to Adrian for allowing me to share her funny photo with you here.