OK so I guess I have a lot of obsessions…..fishing, photography, bear grass (all wildflowers I guess), Going to the Sun Road, Glacier, rocks ect. But my newest obsession is Blue Jays. Not the baseball ones (although I do like the logo and some of their young players) the passerine kind.
The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It resides through most of eastern and central United States, although western populations may be migratory. Resident populations are also found in Newfoundland, Canada, while breeding populations can be found across southern Canada. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common in residential areas. It is predominantly blue with a white chest and under parts, and a blue crest. It has a black, U-shaped collar around its neck and a black border behind the crest. Both sexes are similar in size and plumage, and plumage does not vary throughout the year.
I knew we had them in Montana but had only heard them and seen them from afar. Then one day one of our neighbors said they came to their house all the time. Well if that was true Erin and I would try and get them to come to our feeders at home. We put out different seeds and suets trying to get them to come by. We were worried that our birdseed would attract bears so we kept everything swept off.
They are a little different than our old California Jays in that they are very skittish. I have to set out food and hide around corners to get a good photo. They are loud and obnoxious like California Jays so nothing new or surprising there.
