Yard Bird - # 7

Alternate Title:  POOF!

Had to give it up for the blue jays today.  As soon as the sun was up, five of them showed up at the feeders, scattering smaller birds in every direction.  They screeched, they ate, they drank, they stuffed their crops with seeds to be stashed in trees, and eventually some of them retreated to perches to fluff their feathers and attend to their daily grooming.  I caught this one in mid-fluff, which is always something that makes me smile.  A little crop and a bit of lightening and we have a Blip.

Love 'em or hate 'em, blue jays are not a bird that people feel ambivalent about.  I happen to like them - they are intelligent birds, like of the corvids, and they have tight family bonds.  They often mate for life, and remain with their mate throughout the year. They also are quick to sound the alarm when a predator shows up, whether hawk, human, cat or other. In fact, sometimes they sound the alarm just to scatter the other birds from the feeders - they can imitate red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks nearly perfectly.

And it seems like they are always up to something, making them very entertaining to watch.  Several years ago, I saw a blue jay watching a squirrel bury some nuts.  As soon as the squirrel's back was turned, the jay swooped in, dug out the nuts with it's beak, and carried them off.  Still laughing about that one!

My alternate shot for today is a rather lovely Male House Finch with some yellow.  And I've posted one of today's attempts at a food shot in Extra.  

It's a goopy, drizzly day so it remains to be seen if I'll get out and walk or not.  I'm suffering from allergies at the moment and a nap is sounding very good to me...  I'll check in later.  In the meantime, thanks so much for stopping by!

And, please check out BlipFuture - we're getting closer, people!

TTFN,
Debbi