A pair of neighborhood Blue Jays successfully reared at least two youngsters this summer. I have several peanut feeders and the parents spent much of July and August snatching peanuts for their noisy, hungry offspring.
Last week I was startled when a hawk dove past my window in hot pursuit of a meal. The family was visiting the feeders at the time and I was sure one of the babies was a goner. Everything happened so fast that I didn’t get to witness the outcome. The next day I was expecting to see three Blue Jays at the feeder, so I was dumbfounded when there were five. I have no idea where that fifth bird came from, but he’s one of the family now.
This boisterous gang provides endless entertainment. When they descend on the feeders, the other birds instantly disappear, like introverts escaping a raucous party.
Even though peanut feeders are more suited for small agile birds like chickadees and nuthatches, Blue Jays are fearless when peanuts are their prize. They’ll happily hang from the feeders sideways, upside-down or even from one foot if they have to.
And the mimicking is ridiculous. The youngsters have already perfected the Red-tailed Hawk call and they use it often. Thankfully most of the other birds are on to them, or my feeders would be deserted.
Compared to grackles, starlings and crows, Blue Jays are rather polite eaters, so they aren’t going to eat me out of house and home. I’m hoping they’ll stick around to animate the dreary days of winter.