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| Not a blue jay It's a Steller's Jay Photo by by Robin Barker |
Oops, Blue Jays live east of the Rockies, although there are a few that stray over the Rockies into Eastern Washington every winter.
If you are in Shoreline, that blue bird with the splendid black accents is a Steller’s Jay.
Our resident Steller’s Jay is quite the impressive bird, with its dark blue-black crest with a light blue vertical stripe (eyebrow?) above each eye.
Note: The juveniles have dark brown where the adults have black, and don’t have those startling eyebrows (You’ll start seeing these juvies in late summer-early fall.)
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| An actual Blue Jay stock photo |
During breeding, in dense conifers, they become very inconspicuous and mostly quiet, especially when they are stealing other species eggs or nestlings to feed their own.
Steller's Jays have complex social hierarchies and dominance patterns, and like Black-capped Chickadees, can be seen flying single file across an opening with the dominant pair leading.
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| Steller's Jays love peanuts Photo by Bev Bowe |
Being omnivores, they quickly take advantage of any food source: seeds, nuts and berries, picnic scraps, bugs, reptiles, even carrion.
Once you start feeding them, they will come back like clock-work, loudly announcing their presence, and demanding attention, sometimes even knocking on a window.
Steller’s Jays have year round pair-bonds, and both help build the nest and feed their four-to-five young.
Like crows, the young may leave their nest before they can fly, but the parents are watching and feeding them. So if you see a Steller’s Jay, or any Corvid for that matter, on the ground and it isn’t obviously injured, it does NOT need rescuing. Let the parents take care of their offspring in the manner that works for them. Usually a moving youngster on the ground is safer than one confined to a tight nest.
Just make sure your cat can’t get to them, day or night.
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| California Scrub Jay Photo by Blair Bernson |
There is even the possibility that a couple of pairs of Scrub Jays are breeding in West Seattle.
So my (male) neighbor gives peanuts to the Jays. My (female) neighbor gives peanuts to the squirrels. And I seem to be raising a bumper crop of peanuts in my planters!
ReplyDeleteThank you for having the photos & information, about the bird I saw outside; This fast moving bird, hopped on the top of her head in our back yard; It was our two foot statue of the Virgin Mary, in her powder blue gown & cape;
ReplyDeleteI put out water for the birds this summer as it was so dry and I have continued since. I was shocked when I refilled it yesterday to have my local Stellar Jay hop around in the tree just above my head squawking at me happily before hopping in and taking a bath, head dunks and all, with me only a few feet away. Apparently they like clean water along with peanuts. Atleast mine does. Thanks for the info about that behavior. It was certainly unexpected.
ReplyDeleteLast year some Stellers built a nest in a bush alongside my house it was so fun to watch them grow but just before they were able to leave thw nest they were drowned in the mud tight nest due to heavy rains...I was devistated- I noticed this year they're back but on the other side of the house...in another rain open area... I'm feeling the need to put a little slice of camo tarp on the branch above the new nest....but will this cause them to abandon it? Os it worth the try??
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