You know they are present long before you ever see them. Blue Jays speak from among the trees as they watch proceedings along the boardwalk in Summerside.
They are watchful from their lofty perches and as soon as people produce birdseed or peanuts, they swoop into the area. They don’t miss anything.
We have observed several times when hawks or eagles come into the area, Blue Jays set off an alarm call that all the animals understand and for a time, everyone disappears, the chickadees, nuthatches, squirrels and chipmunks as well as the jays. The only birds which stay audible and visible are the crows and ravens.
The jays insinuate themselves into our encounters with the other birds with ease. They land on the bridge as soon as we offer raw peanuts to the chickadees. They watch closely, waiting for an opportunity to swoop in. Before long they are lined up on the railing, waiting for their chance at some food.
I placed a peanut on my open hand and stood quietly and waited.
We had never seen jays feed from someone’s hand. Within a minute,
the birds positioned themselves in the trees closer to me, watching my hand as I stood there.
It was exciting to have one land on the bridge and take the peanut.
I tried holding a raw peanut in my fingers
and sure enough, one took it from me.
When we walked away, the Blue Jays came with us, flying from tree to tree along either side of the path for several hundred meters. On our way back, when we stopped briefly on the bridge again, they appeared in the trees quickly, expecting peanuts again.
These clever birds are colourful creatures with distinctive markings. Any place they inhabit is better for it.
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