This week's Crops & Clips: Blue Jay

After I captured these views of a Blue Jay busily foraging for acorns, I realized that I have far too few photos of this common yet beautiful bird. I caught this one in a baseline state.





Several acorns can be stuffed into one gular pouch.





Jays take up the highest perches, watching for intruders, ready to sound the alert.





Blue Jays are so common that I don't feel an urge to photograph them, and when I do they seem to be smart and wary. Like the Steller's Jays in New Mexico, their shadows often fall on mine as they follow me with the sun at their backs.



They like to keep some vegetation between them and the camera.



Always on guard, Blue Jays are easily agitated, whether simply by my presence or because of some real or imagined threat. The excited call of one summons hordes that appear out of nowhere.





Bellicose and unafraid, they mob or attack owls eagles, large hawks, some falcons as well as cats and anything smaller and weaker.

I watched three jays chase a Merlin that could have killed any one of them. This American Kestrel was fair game.





The kestrel retreats, but the chase is still not over.



Loggerhead Shrikes may eat small birds, but they are no match for this scruffy jay in molt, who retained his perch as King of the Roost

 

I obtained a rare intimate portrait.