California scrub-jays are delightful yard visitors with their sometimes comical feeding antics and loud, raspy calls
In this case, our readers flocked in to share similar feelings expressed in my last column about the departure of the colorful hooded orioles as they headed south to Mexico for the winter.
Of course, the reward for providing for our feathered friends is a closer connection and understanding of these special creatures.Within days, the summer hubbub of busy orioles was replaced by the arrival at our seed feeders of a raucous bird with a new name. The California scrub-jay is a slender, medium-sized bird with a long tail, blue head and back, and a gray cape below the neck. The belly and throat are very light gray to white and there is a bold, dark-blue band across the breast. There is a black patch around the eye and a white stripe extending back from above the eye.
You might even be lucky enough to spot a scrub-jay perched on the back of a local mule deer where it feeds on ticks, much to the appreciation of the deer. In their natural environment, their most important food source are acorns. Easily attracted with an offering of raw, whole peanuts, black sunflower seeds or meal worms, their feeding antics can be quite comical.
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