Garden Exotica

Met a friend for coffee, then went on to Knoll Gardens, which I can visit free with my Royal Horticultural Society membership.  I couldn't resist this Swamp Peppermint.  There are a few extras as well as I couldn't make my mind up on what I liked best.  One of the extras is a contortionist blackbird in my back garden.  There was a young jay doing similar yoga exercises, but I wasn't fast enough to capture him.  Am I right in thinking they rub ants on their skin for the formic acid?