Jay Joy

Day 82: I hear a lot of people complain, "Oh, those Steller's Jays! They're so noisy!" and in fact their call is often referred to as "scolding." However, these corvids are also mimics, and can do a very good imitation of a Red-tailed Hawk's "keeeeer!", a talent which often secures the best spots at the feeders for them. However, as the little boy who cried "Wolf!" learned, with familiarity comes complacency, "Yeah, that's just ol' Blue again, trying to frighten us away." Inevitably, the penalty is sometimes exacted when a real hawk is in the neighborhood and a hapless junco or sparrow fails to check the source of the sound. That said, when the Jays put up a fuss, it generally means we should all stop what we're doing and look around us. There may be a good reason they're giving a general alert.