Day 58: One of the most colourful birds to visit my yard, Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is also one of the most common and certainly the most consistent. Year-'round, their population remains more or less constant, unlike the juncoes who, although also a year-'round species, experience rises and falls in their census. By mass and duration, the jay population may even occupy a larger amount of air space than the crows who generally only come for breakfast. Many people dislike jays, claiming that they bully smaller birds; such is not my experience with them in any of the locales where I have had them as guests. There is little reason for competition at my feeders at any time except when the Grosbeaks arrive to consume black-oil seed in copious amounts. The jays take a respectful back seat to them, knowing that I'll put out more seed as soon as I notice the feeders are empty. Like all members of the Corvidae, Steller's jays are smart, and mine certainly realize they've discovered an almost limitless supply of food in my yard.
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