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, March 7, 2023
A Handsome Feller, Steller's
Day 145: As much as I envy the east its iconic cardinals, our Steller's Jays are gorgeous in their own right. Substantially larger than cardinals, their intense dark blue is an optical illusion. They are actually brown, and only appear blue due to the way light is refracted by the microstructure of their feathers. That makes you wonder how they look to other birds, creatures whose eyes perceive far more colours than our own. In any event, a treeful of Steller's is quite a sight to behold, and the snowy weather has brought them out in dozens, chattering and scolding from the branches of the contorted filbert and mountain-ask closest to the feeders. "Empty again! We want more seed!" and dutifully, I lay my handwork aside to answer the call. It's nice to know I'm appreciated.
Labels:
Cyanocitta stelleri,
Steller's Jay
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