Day 127: When the discussion turns to Steller's Jays (and many other corvids for that matter), you will find that there is a sharp dividing line between camps. People either love them or hate them, seemingly without any middle ground. True, their voices are harsh and scolding, but what they lack in musical ability is more than balanced by the color they bring to the yard. They are not particularly aggressive as some people claim. In fact, I have seen Juncoes a quarter their size chase them out of the feeders. They are polite guests at the table, unlike the Rufous-sided Towhees who scratch and kick seed out of the trays, and their ability to mimic a Red-tailed Hawk's call keeps the other birds on their toes. I am quite fond of my Steller-fellers (named for German naturalist Georg Steller), and love having them around.
365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Steller On A Stump
Day 127: When the discussion turns to Steller's Jays (and many other corvids for that matter), you will find that there is a sharp dividing line between camps. People either love them or hate them, seemingly without any middle ground. True, their voices are harsh and scolding, but what they lack in musical ability is more than balanced by the color they bring to the yard. They are not particularly aggressive as some people claim. In fact, I have seen Juncoes a quarter their size chase them out of the feeders. They are polite guests at the table, unlike the Rufous-sided Towhees who scratch and kick seed out of the trays, and their ability to mimic a Red-tailed Hawk's call keeps the other birds on their toes. I am quite fond of my Steller-fellers (named for German naturalist Georg Steller), and love having them around.
Labels:
Cyanocitta stelleri,
Steller's Jay
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