Sightings: Steller's Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri)

2007-09-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 8:07 am
crisp, sunny morning

Birds:
mwbw
rrmo
unbanded--left leg especially swollen
unbanded juvenile
plbmp
wwmlb
mlbrg
unbanded with leg mites, especially swollen right back toe

Finally returning to my observations. I'm in the habit of feeding the birds in the afternoon now, the morning comes so quickly on a back-to-school schedule, and my resident pair aren't here yet. Arriving first are mwbw, rrmo and one unbanded bird--clearing the peanuts out, not taking time to crack nuts and eat. Mwbw gives the male cheep cheep cheep call, though it doesn't seem that anyone is around to listen but his mate. She spends much more time shopping for nuts than she did in July. She appears more confident. Rather than perching skittishly on a limb, and swooping in quickly for a peanut, she selects first one, then another, until she finds just the right peanut.

The pair is joined by plbmp and Shopper (mwbw), mlbrg, and some unbanded birds with leg mites. As usual I'm mystified trying to distinguish whether or not mlbrg has a partner.

At 9:00, there is still no sign of the resident pair.

2007-07-27T17:45:00.001-07:00

Sky white still

Birds:

1. morlb (Red Eye)
2. mwrg (Wringer)
3. mgrr (Droopy)
4. mrgo (Mr. Go)
5. plbmp (Princesa)
6. unbanded (Shopper)
7. unbanded ( Rusty Bill)
8. unbanded juveniles x 2
9. mwbw (Checkers)
10. mlbbb
11. mlbrg (Trapper)
12. molbo (Mrs. Tame Bird)
13. banded juvenile (metal)
14. banded juvenile (red)

Molbo is back. She hasn’t been here since I started making a bird list each day. My thought is that she’s been sitting on a nest. She made several morning visits to the feeder, in and out. A new juvenile arrived today with red tape around its band. Pia told me it had been banded at the Secret Garden feeder on the HSU campus. Juveniles banded by Jeff Black have brown tape around the band, those banded at Jeff Jacobsen’s have a blue tape around the metal band and, those banded here are plain metal.

2007-07-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

Birds:

1. mwbw (Checkers)
2. mwlblb (Tame Bird)
3. mlbob (Mrs. Go)
4. mrgo (Mr. Go)
5. unbanded (Shopper)
6. mbow (Bow)
7. mgrr (Droopy)
8. unbanded juvenile—going in trap
9. morlb (Red Eye)
10. mwrg (Wringer)
11. banded juvenile
12. mlbrg
13. unbanded with leg mites

Notes:
I’m having trouble keeping track of all the unbanded adult birds here today. Shopper, with his sleeked back crest is easy to identify, as is unbanded with leg mites. His elbows are pink when he bends over, and his legs are swollen where they join his toes. This bird appears small and I suspect may be last year’s juvenile. There is another unbanded bird, quite large, who feeds on the bench with Checkers—lbpmp rattles when he arrives. Rusty Bill may be here, but his red feathers appear to be lighter—a blonder red. The region just below the lower bill is featherless and unusually pink. Could it be another bird, or molting changes?

I’m watching lbpmp carefully. I can almost see a bulge on her right side where her other ear is, but it is completely covered with feathers.

I am getting better at noticing the age differences among the juveniles. Some are getting their blue head stripes. These birds have a long, lean-necked look, while youngsters look plumper, downier, with grayer heads. Many of the juveniles are trying to get peanuts in their gullets, but they just aren’t big enough yet.

I’m curious about Droopy. I would guess she is a male based on her behavior. She is a spunky bird among all these males. They chase her; she chases them. She holds her own and lingers, always in a visible position, always busy. Mrs. Go, the resident female, isn’t as visible, preferring to perch in a tree, higher, in a more camouflaged lookout post. She is shyer, more cautious. It makes me so interested in this idea of “boldness”—its evolutionary advantages and disadvantages.

2007-07-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Birds:

mbow
mgrr
lbpmp
mwlblb
mlbob
morlb
mpbw
mwrg
mlbrg
mrgo
mwbw
unbanded: Rusty Bill
mlbbb* female
gbmg*
rrmo
unbanded juveniles (2)
banded juvenile

* First time noted at the feeder

Notes:
Activity at the feeder has resumed with lots of visitors today. lbpmp arrived with a deep puncture wound on the left side of her head. It looks clean without any sign of blood or infection, though the edges gape and I'm surprised she is behaving normally. She is flying, feeding, and rattling as usual. My first thought was she'd been attacked by another bird, though Jeff J. suggested it could be a pellet gun injury. I will watch her carefully and have notified Pia by e-mail.

Two new birds arrived today: mlbbb, a female; and gbmg, last year's juvenile. They, like mpbw, make very quick flurries in, take time to grab only one peanut and fly straight up and out with a bound. Strangers still, they lack the bold qualities of those birds who have been around awhile.

Yesterday, Red Eye, the boldest of the bold, discovered the whole bag of peanuts inside my bedroom door. A hot muggy day, I'd left the sliding glass door open. He pecked into the plastic bag with sharp jabs of his bill until he opened a hole large enough to extract peanuts directly from the bag. He'd drop a few on the floor, take one, and then fly off. The other birds caught on quickly, feeling quite at home to hop into the room, tap the bag and steal away with nuts. This morning, birds were lined up, outside my bedroom window, eying the bag, waiting for me to get up and feed them.

2007-07-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

07:05
White sky

Birds:
1. mrgo (Mr. Go)
2. mwbw (Checkers)
3. mlbob (Mrs. Go)
4. unbanded (Shopper)
5. mlbrg (Trapper) chased by mwbw
6. morlb (Red Eye)
7. mwrg (Wringer) missing middle tail feather
8. lbpmp (Princesa)
9. mpbw (Mrs. Red Eye)
10. mgrr (Droopy)
11. unbanded
12. mwlblb (Tame Bird)

07/20/07
07:32
Cloudy mixed with blue sky

Birds:
1. mwrlb (Red Eye)
2. mpbw (Mrs. Red)
3. mrgo (Mr. Go)
4. mlbrg (Trapper)
5. Shopper
6. mlbob (Mrs. Go)
7. lbpmp (Princesa)
8. mwrg (Wringer)
9. plump juvenile
10. mgrr (Droopy)
11. mwbw (Checkers)

07/19/07
06:13
White sky

Birds:
1. mrgo (Mr. Go)
2. mlbob (Mrs. Go)
3. mgrr (Droopy)
4. unbanded juvenile (begs to Droopy)
5. mwlblb (Tame Bird)
6. lbpmp (Princesa)
7. mlbrg (Trapper)
8. Shopper (Chopper)
9. morlb (Red Esye)
10. mwrg (Wringer)
11. mwbw (Checkers)

07/18/07
06:57
Blue sky with clouds—trees drenched with water after a summer rain.

Birds:
1. mlbob (Resident Female)
2. Mrgo (Resident Male)
3. unbanded juvenile
4. Shopper

Notes:
After an absence of a week, my birds have fallen out of the peanut routine. Only Mrs. Go answers my morning greeting. She sits, perched in the tree, camouflaged, waiting quietly without calling or moving. She swoops in quickly, grabs a nut, not taking time to do her usual cross-over, two peanut pick-up. She appears cautious. Her legs are the most swollen ever—in particular the left. She favors it, lifting it as she hops in a lop-sided gait. She is wet and rumpled, a feather on her back sticking up; molting has begun.

Mr. Go arrives with a squa, squa call—only 11 minutes past the time I began watching. He looks particularly sleek, and confident, standing tall, in an alert posture, hop, hop, hopping off a flat surface into a strong, flying take-off.

An unbanded juvenile sits, perched on a branch quietly. Its wings flutter rapidly, quietly, in a begging posture, as Mr. Go arrives. The bird has aged since I last saw it, the pink around its gape has filled in some, and the downy quality of its feathers has matured. It appears taller, leaner, the circumference of its neck narrowed, not so round and plump—more adolescent in its attitude. It perches, calls, squa, squa, squa and then tchoo choo choo TCHU choo choo, TCHU. It sounds immature, tentative. It wipes its bill back and forth on a tree branch, and tap taps. I wonder if this is a way of marking territory, leaving behind a scent, a bill-cleaning ritual, or has some other significance I’m unaware of. The three birds are casual, taking their time to collect peanuts, as if they have no competition and all the time in the world to feed. An hour later, only the nuclear family has come to feed, lots of peanuts are left.

Chopper is the first to arrive outside the family group. He does his usual pick up/put down routine before selecting. Mr. Go cheep cheeps, calls chooka, chooka, chooka and begins feeding on sunflower seeds. A second juvenile arrives and begs, bill open, wings fluttering, standing next to Mr. Go on the bench.

2007-07-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

06:57

Blue sky with clouds—trees drenched with water after a summer rain.

Birds Sighted:
1. mlbob (Resident Female)
2. Mrgo (Resident Male)
3. unbanded juvenile
4. Chopper

Notes:
After an absence of a week, my birds have fallen out of the peanut routine. Only Mrs. Go answers my morning greeting. She sits, perched in the tree, camouflaged, waiting quietly without calling or moving. She swoops in quickly, grabs a nut, not taking time to do her usual cross-over, two peanut pick-up. She appears cautious. Her legs are more swollen than ever—in particular the left. She favors it, lifting it as she hops in a lop-sided gait. She is wet and rumpled, a feather on her back sticking up; molting has begun.

Mr. Go arrives with a squa, squa call—only 11 minutes past the time I began watching. He looks particularly sleek, and confident, standing tall, in an alert posture, hop, hop, hopping off a flat surface into a sure, strong, flying take-off.

An unbanded juvenile sits, perched on a branch quietly. Its wings flutter rapidly, quietly, in a begging posture, as Mr. Go arrives. The bird has aged since I last saw it, the pink around its gape has filled in some, and the downy quality of its feathers has matured. It appears taller, leaner, the circumference of its neck narrowed, not so round and plump—more adolescent in its attitude. It perches, calls, squa, squa, squa and then tchoo choo choo TCHU choo choo, TCHU. It sounds immature, tentative, a little hoarse. It wipes its bill back and forth on a tree branch, and tap taps. I wonder if this is a way of marking territory, leaving behind a scent, a bill-cleaning ritual, or has some other significance I’m unaware of. The three birds are casual, taking their time to collect peanuts, as if they have no competition and all the time in the world to feed. An hour later, only the nuclear family has come to feed, lots of peanuts are left.

Chopper is the first to arrive outside the family group. He does his usual pick up/put down routine before selecting. Mr. Go cheep cheeps, calls chooka, chooka, chooka and begins feeding on sunflower seeds. A second juvenile arrives and begs, bill opening and closing, wings fluttering, standing next to Mr. Go on the bench.

By the end of the day, many of the usual visitors had returned. I predict the list of birds will be back to normal by tomorrow.

2007-07-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

06:43

Same old summer sky: white, still, quiet, other than hammers banging and heavy equipment whirring at the HSU Sports Complex—will construction ever end?

Birds:

1. mrgo (Mr. Go) chases Rusty Bill
2. junvenile unbanded
3. mlbob (Mrs. Go)
4. Rusty Bill
5. Shopper
6. mwob (Bow) flies northwest--missing tail feathers
7. mwrg (Wringer)
8. mwlblb (Tame Bird)
9. morlb (Red Eye)
10. mgrr (Droopy)
11. mrgw leg mites

Notes:

There’s a pair of ravens lurking this morning. They were perched on a tree I suspect may have had a nest, and have been flying around the house in big circles, squawking loudly. They are early morning and evening intruders, rarely seen or heard in the middle of the day.

The juvenile bird is still learning to open peanuts. He tried to harvest the nut from a half-opened shell, gave up, and tried another. He clutched the nut with only one foot, wrapped his spindly toes around it, while the other foot stayed free, maintaining his balance. He struggled to pierce the shell with his bill, lacking the strength and coordination of an adult. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior says corvids (the bird family to which jays belong) hit an object only with their lower bill: “The New World jays have a special flange on the lower jaw that braces it against the skull and makes it a more effective chisel” (411).

I work to observe this specialized adaptation in action. Adult jays use their toes and bills with amazing dexterity. They wedge their food in a two-footed vise, clamp it securely with three anterior-facing toes and one posterior. In this position, they lower their bill and begin tapping. Deftly, they remove a nut from its shell, balance one half next to them, and chip away at the other half until it has splintered into pieces small enough to eat. I can see now, what appears to be an unconscious response to the environment has been learned through trial and error. The juveniles can barely use one foot to hold their shell in place, and peck lightly. They try to bite the nut, open-jawed--which serves only to catapult it forward, out of reach. With persistence, they successfully open the nut, and swallow the half whole—a move that makes my gullet ache to watch. As time goes on, they increase their control and maneuverability, taking time to chisel the half-peanut into reasonably bite-sized pieces.

The juveniles are still learning what is food. I watched an unbanded juvenile pick up bits of lichen, moss, and leaves placing each gingerly on a branch in front of him--a delicate earth sculpture that would go unnoticed unless you happened to be there during its construction. They peck and play, experimenting, getting to know and understand their world, in the same way a one-year-old toddles around, placing everything she sees in her mouth.

2007-07-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

07:03

White, still, sky with a hint of blue

Birds in Order of Appearance:

morlb (Red Eye)
unbanded
mlbrg (Trapper)
mwlblb (Tame Bird)
unbanded with leg mites
unbanded (Rusty Bill)
unbanded (Chopper—formerly Shopper)
mrgo (Mr. Go)
mlbob (Mrs. Go)
mwbw (Checkers)
mplbp (Princesa)
mwrg (Wringer)
mbow (Bow)
juvenile
mgrr (Droopy)
banded juvenile

Notes:

It is a very quiet jay morning--only three birds so far and a solitary chickadee. I hear sounds of a raven above me, but can’t locate the bird itself. It’s call is a two syllable, “honk, honk,” goose-like, rather than the more familiar “squa, squa.” There is another call I don’t recognize yet, maybe a hawk of some kind. I saw the silhouette of a large, narrow bird with long, pointy-tipped wings, dark against the window of white sky. I’ll see if I can find it in the Sibley’s Guide. Based on evidence and bird behavior, there are predators in the neighborhood.

Mr. and Mrs. Go feed more on seeds than peanuts. They are not intent, like the others, on clearing out the feeder of peanuts. They are an attractive couple perched next to each other. He stands tall, alert and erect, emitting an occasional, “chip” accompanied by a display of one wing flap. His feathers are sleek; he looks strong and capable. She, on the other hand, squats low, plumps her feathers out as if she is sitting on a nest, often with her left foot tucked underneath her. She is a small, pretty bird; with bright cobalt blue feathers forming the two vertical stripes above her bill. When they are accompanied by a juvenile, they can be heard murmuring to each other using a complicated range of sounds with varied inflections.

2007-07-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

07:20
Still, quiet, white sky

Birds In Order of Appearance:

1. mwbw (Checkers)
2. unbanded
3. mbrg (Trapper)
4. morgo (Mr. Go)
5. morlb (Red Eye)
6. mlbob (Mrs. Go)
7. unbanded (Shopper aka Chopper)
8. mwlblb (Tame Bird)
9. unbanded juvenile
10. lbpmp (Princesa)
11. unbanded (Rusty Bill)
12. mbow (Bow)
13. banded juvenile (Plum)
14. mwrg (Wringer)
15. mwrr (Droopy)

Notes:

Upon rising each morning, I brew my coffee, then feed the birds. I make three to four piles of wild bird seed, a pile of sunflower seeds, and piles of peanuts. Then I sit on the deck and shell a few nuts for myself. There is something satisfying about sharing peanuts with the birds at the beginning of my day. Usually Mr. Go, Tame Bird, Shopper, and more recently, Red Eye, are first to greet me in a flurry of activity. Tame Bird and Red Eye show little fear and will come close to me, daring each other to get the first peanut. Mr. Go stalls until I move farther away, but holds his ground, clearly in charge of who comes and goes here. This morning, Checkers and an unbanded were sitting very quietly in the tree above me, hidden by foliage. There was a lull before the usual crowd joined me.

Shopper is turning into a tyrant. Unlike the other birds who tolerate the youngsters, he frightened a juvenile working to open a peanut. A speed demon with crest slicked back, Chopper is a more suitable moniker. The young bird struggled to first open the nut, not yet able to stabilize it with his toes, nor able to apply the necessary force with its bill. Once he got it open he grabbed the whole peanut and swallowed it whole. Much too big a bite, I watched the bulge of nut travel down his gullet. More careful with the second nut, he pecked it into smaller pieces. He has yet to develop the skill of balancing a nut on a tree branch while gaining access to the other half, so uses the flat platform of the bench.

2007-07-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

06:50

White, still, quiet and wet

Birds Sighted in Order of Arrival:

1. mwlblb (Tame Bird)
2. unbanded juvenile
3. unbanded juvenile
4. banded juvenile
5. mrgo (Mr. Go)
6. unbanded adult (Shopper)
7. mlbob (Mrs. Go)
8. mwrg (Wringer
9. lbpmp (Princesa)
10. mlbrg (Trapper)
11. unbanded (Rusty Bill)
12. mwbw (Checkers)
13. mgrr (Droopy)

Notes:

Shopper is especially aggressive this morning. He is chasing one of the baby jays, here to practice opening peanuts. He swoops fast, through the feeding area, between tree branches reminding me of a bully on the playground. His ratty tail feathers give him an undignified look as he flies. If there were to be a male take-over at this feeder, I bet he would win the contest. He is unlike the others, who show patience and understanding for the young birds. He makes a loud “chooka, chooka, chooka, chook,” temporarily displacing all the birds. Crest plastered back, he crouches low like a jaunty-capped road racer, focused on making good time.

The jays have paths by which they navigate through the trees, branch by branch. They hop and glide through the familiar territory with speed and agility, landing solidly, on spindly legs that belie their strength. They make sharp, familiar turns through networks of leaves. Negotiating openings, they weave their way through levels of space the way we negotiate a river crossing, hopping, then wading, from stone to stone.

Maybe because it’s wet and dewy this morning, the tail feathers of all the birds appear worn and frayed. Molting is progressing at a rapid rate, the new row of feathers, visible beneath the wings when the birds dip their heads down, inches its way posteriorly. I wonder at what point will these new feathers replace the old? I’m saving the loose feathers I find on the ground, a permanent record of the season.

Two juveniles land on the bench, face off, and beg, bill-to-bill. Mr. Go lands; one juvie flies off, and the other begs to the adult male. This is the second time I’ve seen this behavior. It leads me suspect the two are siblings, and possible offspring of Mr. and Mrs. Go.

Again outnumbered by males, the females this morning include plbmp, mlbob, and mgrr. Pia told me yesterday it takes about 16 days for eggs to incubate and 16-20 days for the young to fledge, which means the nesting females could be missing from the feeder for well over a month. She described how the young birds gradually fill the nest until they are too big to fit any longer. They begin flapping their wings and move out onto branches. It is during this period that the fledglings are most exposed and most vulnerable to predators. One pair of adults lost all four of its progeny to ravens at this stage of development; after which, they were forced to begin again, repeating the process of mating, egg-laying, nesting, and feeding their young.

2007-07-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

morning hours

Birds Sighted in Order of Appearance:

1. mwlblb
2. mlbrg
3. mlbob
4. one banded juvenile (offspring of mwlblb and molbo)
5. morlb
6. mrog chases morlb
7. mplbp
8. unbanded juvenile
9. mwrg (Droopy’s mate)
10. unbanded male (Shopper)
11. mrgw
12. mbow (Bow)
13. mgrr
14. unbanded—rusty bill

Notes:

Pia came this morning and we watched birds for an hour or so, between 10:00 and 11:00. She reminded me the high-pitched cheep, cheep, cheep is a male-only call, heard when other males are around, often accompanied by the wing-flapping display. We watched the babies come and go, pick up bits of leaves, sticks, old peanut shells, not sure yet what food is and isn’t. They resemble baby giraffes in their stance, positioning themselves with their legs splayed at odd angles. I’ve been putting sunflower seeds out with the mixed seed and peanuts each morning. The babies are practicing opening these small nuts and are surprising adept at grasping a sunflower seed with their toes and tap-tapping into the nut. Their bills lack the strength of the adults though, and they are likely to drop the nut before they reach the meat inside. Their breast feathers are beginning to look less gray and more blue. Pia explained that the distinct bands across the tail are an adult feature and aren’t seen until the juvenile’s first molting a year from now. Last year’s juveniles can be identified by their ragged feathers and indistinct tail bands. The shades and hues of blue appear more varied to me in the juveniles—there is a teal-colored grouping of feathers in the wing, in addition to the bright-blue and gray-blue. Their gape is pink, and they look plump and healthy with full breasts. They come with an adult who keeps a lookout perched above them.

Droopy wing came again for several visits—I hope I got a good photo of her. Her mate, mwrg, “Wringer” is a regular male, along with Tame Bird, Red Eye, Mr. Go and Shopper. They continued today in their hierarchical game of chase, Mr. Go still top bird, though compromised because Tame Bird and Red Eye will come so much closer to me and the house; they are both dare-devils in comparison. He is patient though, and will wait for me to leave and re-establish his dominance at this feeder. Today he was busy chasing the newcomer, morlb (Red Eye) who grows bolder by the day.

Rusty bill made an appearance again today. His pink elbows are a sign of leg mites; I learned from Pia. He darts in and out, but I hope to get a photo of him soon. She (Pia) suspects he may be last year’s juvenile, rather than an aged bird, based on the condition of his tail feathers. We will watch and see if this peculiar marking changes after molting.

Finally, I showed Pia photos of mwbw and rrmo molting. She wondered if they weren’t a pair. I didn’t see either of them today. Other birds missing in action include molbo and mprg—both of whom may be sitting on eggs.

2007-07-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

00:10:00

Birds in Order of Arrival:

1. mwlblb chases morlb
2. mrgo
3. morlb
4. unbanded shopper chases mwlblb
5. mlbob
6. mwbw
7. mgrr
8. mplbp
9. mwrg mgrr’s mate
10. juvenile
11. unbanded (red bill)

Notes:

Last night was July 4th. Relentless boom of fireworks filled the heavy, overcast sky with splashes of light. The acrid residue of smell wafted clear into the house and I thought of the jays, roosting in redwood trees. I briefly heard a “squa, squa,” from a high place—the first I’ve heard a jay call after dusk. Our idea of celebrating must be so frightening for them.

Yet, they were here this morning, ready as ever for a peanut feast, unscathed by the night’s festivities. Once again, the males arrived first. Morlb (Red Eye) is now a regular and was chased by mwlblb (Tame Bird). Unbanded Shopper demonstrated a particularly aggressive move, flapping his wings, hopping towards mwlblb, who yielded and flew to a new perch.

Red Bill landed. He has distinctly orange feathers, the color of a robin’s breast, above his bill. I think of him as an elder. He stands tall, almost regal. The other males fly around him and he remains, undisturbed. Jeff J., after describing Red Eye’s orange feathers to me, said Pia associated orange feathers with age. It’s seems unusual that I haven’t seen a single bird with orange feathers and now have seen two in the last two days. Makes me wonder if the two birds are related, or maybe they're both just old.

My cousin Kristin has asked me if I’ve named the birds. Megan, my daughter, asks the same question. I wobble between writing a narrative--full of personalities, anthropomorphisms and conjectures; and documenting the evidence—those precise observations a scientist would make and later enter in a database. I feel as clumsy as a baby jay, stumbling over a peanut. But, yes, Kristin and Megan, I am naming the birds. It looks like this:

1. mwlblb Tame Bird
2. mrgo Mr. Go
3. morlb Red Eye
4. unbanded shopper Shopper
5. mlbob Mrs. Go
6. mwbw Checkers
7. mgrr Droopy
8. mplbp Princesa (Cesa)
9. mwrg Wringer
10. juvenile unbanded
11. unbanded (red bill) Red Bill

Clearly, this is only a start. There’s mbrg--Trapper, I think, because he spends so much time in the trap, and Bessy for rrmo because she is a mess, a Messy Bessy.

2007-07-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

07:30

High fog, white sky, warm still

Birds Sighted In Order of Arrival:

1. mrgo
2. plbmp (rattles)
3. unbanded adult
4. banded juvenile
5. morlb (red right eye)
6. mwlblb
7. mlbrg
8. mlbob (rattles)
9. mwbw
10. mbow
11. pbmr (no tail bars?)
12. unbanded chases mwlblb
13. mlbbg?

Other birds sighted:

1. chestnut backed chickadee
2. varied thrush

Comments:

I’m spending a little time each day sitting on the deck with the jays eating peanuts. I notice which birds are willing to come close to me to get a peanut and which pause, roosted above, quiet, alert, waiting for me to move farther away. This is the time I will often hear soft chatty vocalizations. They are my very favorite—because of the variety of sounds and gentleness of tones. They are rich, expressive, and beg to be translated. Could they be subtle warnings that someone is near, or casual approaches to biding time until the coast is clear to feed without intruders? The temptation to anthropomorphize is irresistible and I am aware of a merging jaynesss with humanness-- for the moment, our commonalities more distinct than our differences.

Mwlblb is by far the tamest bird. He may hesitate slightly before approaching me, but then hops, boldly to take a peanut. This is always disconcerting for mrgo, who claims this feeder, but doesn’t have the courage to take charge when I am too near. Today, morlb (red eye) appears more culturally assimilated, taking time to select, eat a peanut now and then, perch, and survey, before caching; however, there are still times when he reverts and becomes unexpectedly skittish, dashing off. He too, is a very tame bird and does not shy away from me.

2007-07-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

CORRECTION: In my previous notes I used the incorrect nomenclature for blue and black. I’m going to correct the mistake in the “List of Birds” section on the left; however, I cannot edit a posted blog. From now on, I will be using the correct nomenclature.
b = black (formerly bl = black)
lb = light blue (formerly b = blue)

07:15-08:30
High fog, warm, still

Birds Sighted In Order of Arrival:

1. mwlblb male
2. morlb male
3. mrgo male
4. banded juve
5. unbanded juve
6. mwrg male
7. rrmo molting, defined breast
8. unbanded with leg mites
9. lbpmp female
10. mlbob female
11. mpbw female
12. unbanded with burnt-orange bill feathers and swollen, pink elbows
13. unbanded shopper male

COMMENTS:

This morning, I noticed the males in the family came first to the feeder and were followed by the females. Morlb, the newest bird to the feeder, came to and from the east, doing his best to clear out peanuts quickly. No time spent shopping, he swooped in, grabbed one peanut, cached it beyond the eastern border of the driveway, then returned to repeat the procedure in a mad, flurry of greed. This bird has a history that includes visits to the Kokotat and Jeff Jacobsen feeders, along with his mate, mpbw, who appeared for the first time yesterday as well. He has burnished feathers around his right eye and above his bill (loral and supraloral region) that appear orangey-red, a color you might associate with age, or sun bleach. Jeff J. suspects age. The bird’s behavior is foreign; unlike those members of the more familiar group, who linger, choose seed sometimes, peanuts others; take time to crack a nut in a tree and eat it before gathering several, and flying off to cache. Is this reflective of a cultural difference, personality difference, or simply, newness to this place?

Rrwo is back today. Her disheveled appearance is even more distinct now—feathers are rumpled, crisscrossed, springing out from her body in an unruly arrangement that lacks all sense of order. Though small, she looks buxom, rounded breasts forming a gentle line of cleavage down her center. I wonder; is this a seasonal change, an adaptation to nesting that I haven’t noticed before; or a quality unique to this bird? I will watch to see if I notice this attribute in other females.

A new unbanded bird arrived today. He was accompanied by an unbanded juvenile and had the same burnt-orange feathers as morlb, except directly above the upper mandible. He was accompanied by an unbanded juvenile and chased by Mr. Go, who called, “chooka, chooka, chooka, chook.”

2007-07-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Blog 3 7/2/07

0713-0813
Clear blue skies, still, quiet

Bird List in order of arrival:

➢ mrgo (chases mwbb successfully—cheep/cheep/cheep/cheep/cheep)
➢ mwbb
➢ mbobl (chooses seed over peanuts)
➢ unbanded shopper (chases mrgw successfully)
➢ mbrg
➢ pbmp
➢ mblow
➢ mwrg
➢ unbanded juvenile comes with mrgo
➢ mrgw (drinks water)
➢ unbanded adult
➢ unbanded right shoulder tuft
➢ mgrr
➢ mwblw
➢ morb*
➢ banded juvie
➢ mpblw*

* new birds to the feeder

Droopy arrives at 0812, looks around cautiously, lands near a pile of seed and picks out the very smallest bits of millet, storing them in her bill. She crouches nearly parallel to the ground, tucks her crest back, maintaining a veritable low profile, grabs one peanut and flies up to the roof. Her lift-off looks labored and awkward, as if she’s out of practice. She doesn’t return again during this note-taking period.

The birds are quiet except for mrgo, who emits a shrill “cheep” now and then vocalized as one, three, four or five “cheeps”--the final syllable always emphasized. I also hear him in a soft conversation with mbobl, his mate, when they are near each other, perched in the crabapple tree. I have yet to identify a way to characterize these conversations in terms of their sound; however, they seem to take place when the juvies are around and have an informal, chatty tone that indicates a kind of intimacy between the two. In the distance, now and then, I hear a “chooka, chooka, chooka, chooka, chook” that I think occurs most frequently during flight and just before a landing. My sense is that the call comes in vocalized groupings of 3, 5, and 9. Sometimes the chooka and cheep are combined in a “chooka, chooka, cheep, cheep.” Finally, Mr. Go has a different kind of cheep—low, rather than shrill, that he utters while perched in one spot, fluttering his wings up and down, in what looks like a begging posture.

I’ve read recently that the jays are quieter during nesting, brooding season and this seems to be the case here. The loud, raucous, continuous shouting match between jays is not occurring now. The still quiet in the morning is distinct.

Total Number of Birds: 17

Babies are messy eaters no matter what species. These baby birds dip down into seed piles, and unlike their parents, who precisely pick out seeds without disturbing the pile, come back, head up, with seeds flying everywhere--seeds clinging to their gape and seeds falling out of the sides of their mouths like rain. It is a spectacle that inspires a giggle even when I’m sitting in a room alone with no one to enjoy it with me.

Two new birds to the feeder came today: mp/blw and morb. I have no previous recollection of these birds. They both flew in very quickly, grabbed one peanut and left—not taking the time to shop, they swooped in and out again.

2007-07-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

0700-0800
White cloud cover with spots of blue sky in the west

Birds Sighted

mrgo (Mr. Go)
unbanded shopper
mwbb (Tame Bird)
2 unbanded juveniles
1 banded juvenile
mbrg
mbobl (Mrs. Go)—rattles below feeder
mwblw
mblow
mwrg
1 older unbanded juvenile
mrgw
mgrr (droopy right wing is back!)
bpmp
pblmr
unbanded with leg mites (elbows looks pink and swollen)

Total Number of Birds: 17+

Comments: Birds are beginning to look disheveled, feathers sticking out all over, molting has progressed significantly in the past two days. This is the first day I've seen Droopy in months.

Molting birds sighted and Red/Red|Metal/Orange appears

2007-06-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

07:39-09:18

White sky in the east, blue in the west, the morning is still and quiet except for the distant sound of a jay calling. I struggle to find letters in our alphabet that approximate the sound of that call, “kwaa, kwaa, kwaa, kwaa, KWA!” Not right, but maybe enough for me to recall later that Mr. Go knew peanuts were out. And it’s true; this morning, he’s the first on the scene, followed by a group of three chickadees. Could they be a mother and two chicks? They are flitty—lack confidence, and dart to and fro, never lingering like they did in the winter when large groups of chickadees, junkos, and fox sparrows assembled, taking turns pecking in piles of seed. Their breast feathers look pale, but they move more quickly than I can focus my binoculars, or my camera. Now, my eyes feel as clumsy as my ears did a moment ago, instead of working to translate sound, I'm working to translate sight.

This morning, in addition to peanuts far back in the feeder, I’ve placed four piles of peanuts on the deck and benches. Mb/rg hops deep in the trap, at ease taking time to shop. This bird has tufts of feathers sticking out today I didn’t notice yesterday. Mw/bb is next, as usual, confident to choose the pile closest to me. Unbanded shopper arrives, picks up and down, then moves one peanut to a new pile and finally selects. Mw/blw swoops, looking scruffier today than yesterday—tail feathers worn, tufts sticking out all over. I’m going to try to get his portrait today.

Shopper successfully chases unbanded shoulder-tuft in an imitation act of Mr. Go. I’d label him and his partner, bp/mp, second-in-command at this feeder. Mw/bb chases unbanded shoulder tuft as well. Two unbanded juveniles perch on top of the feeder, bill to bill, mouths opening and closing, in a dance of balanced synchronicity. Mr. Go perches above, supervising. Too bad I missed that picture.

Banded juvenile appears and mw/rg flies in and out from the west, leaving with one peanut, no loitering for him. Mbl/ow comes and goes; resident female appears; bp/mp lands with a rattle, and more unbanded birds fly in and out than I can keep track of.

A new bird appears since my note-taking began: red/red | metal/orange. Another juvenile from last year, she (I can’t explain why she, any more than I can explain why unbanded shoulder-tuft and mw/rg are hes--a most unscientific approach) is a mess—a quintessential molter.

I wish Jeff J. had his recording devices set up here today—conditions are ideal to capture a variety of sounds, calls, conversations among birds—there is more activity than I can keep up with. Must be a record day for number of birds sighted at this feeder.

Total number of birds: 14+

2007-06-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

June 29, 2007

07:00 White sky, low fog, still

Unbanded (Shopper, I suspect) arrives first this morning. Close behind follows blue/purple-metal/purple landing with a loud rattle in the crabapple. Pia has taught me the rattle is a call made only by a female bird. My experience tells me the call is used to define territory. So far, I’ve only heard it when other birds are around. Bp/mp thinks this is her place. Last year’s juvenile, and banded here, I believe she’s a likely daughter of my resident pair. They both tolerate her presence and will feed next to her. She is small, dainty, and has a regal way of stretching her body out tall, turning her head to look all around her. She is a frequent visitor to the feeder and brings her mate, unbanded. Pia says their fledglings can be seen along the trail between the P.E. building and the back of Founder’s Hall. They are a “campus pair.”

Metal/white-blue/blue, one of my very favorite birds, comes next. One day he hopped right into my bedroom when the sliding glass door was open—just checking to see if there were any peanuts on the carpet. He is by far the tamest of birds, will come to within an arm’s length of me and grab peanuts. His fearlessness gives him a feeding advantage over all the other birds. So far this morning, I haven’t seen his mate, mo/bo. I think I remember they own the “secret garden” feeder on campus, though I must check to be sure. It seems to me Pia told me this bird has been around for nine years. I’ll have to check on that too. I suspect mo/bo is nesting because she was here regularly just a few weeks ago, and I haven’t seen her since I started these notes.

A one-banded juvenile flies to the bench and takes a peanut. It has a pink gape, fluffy feathers on its lower body, and looks small, awkward in its jerky movements. Its landings are uncertain, unbalanced. The band looks burnished—I wonder, has Pia begun banding juveniles? And if so, where was this bird banded and who was around?

Resident female arrives, her left foot curled up, toes deformed, looking very swollen and sore from leg mites. Her mate, Mr. Go, is right behind her chirping, bill opening and closing, flapping his wings while standing in position. It looks like begging to me, but must be a territorial display.

Today I sorted all the single-seed peanuts into one pile. I’m curious, like my cousin Charlotte who watches the scrub jays in Lake County, what criteria the birds use when they are “shopping” for the right peanut. So far, no one has selected a one-peanut shell.

Metal/blue-red/green flies to the feeder, goes clear in towards the back, shops--picking up/putting down--brings a few peanuts forward in the trap, then flies off. At 7:30, activity is picking up, birds flying in, one after another, landing on tree branches, hopping from look-out to look-out, jockeying for key positions. It would take more than one person, or someone more experienced than I, to sort out who’s chasing whom.

Unbanded juvenile pecks for seed underneath the feeder, one tiny millet seed at a time; it hardly seems possible enough nutritional content could be gathered to sustain growth. This bird must still rely on its parents for sustenance. Could it be a sibling of banded juve? They look similar in age—other than the band, I couldn’t tell them apart. This new juve now sits on a tree branch begging—body crouched low, wings fluttering fast, bill up in the air, calling. It flies to the deck, picks up one small seed at a time, grabs a peanut and flies. Mb/rg and mw/bb are both near by. It’s hard to tell if one of the adults is more significant than the other. Unbanded and Mr. Go are also near. The two juves share the bench and I realize the banded bird does look older than the unbanded. I wonder if I can get a picture of the two of them? Time out. Yes! I got some shots.

Unbanded juvie comes back and feeds on the bench right next to unbanded male. Could this be the offspring of bp/mp? This unbanded male has significant status at the feeder and is often seen efficiently chasing others off.

Mw/rg, is new on the scene today. Bp/mp picks seeds off the deck. Unbanded swoops in and she (bp/mp) rattles loudly. Unscathed, the two look for peanuts side-by-side. Unbanded with the right shoulder tuft arrives.

In the meantime, Mr. Rat has returned—he’s more surreptitious than Chippy, the Douglas Squirrel, or the Raccoons—and as much as he’d like a peanut, he scurries the moment he sees me. I will be hard pressed to get a picture of him in the trap. The chickadees are calling now, hopping through the back screen of the feeder, picking up seed. They look smaller than I remember them—could they be this year’s juveniles?

Mr/gw has a little trouble negotiating the edge of the trap—seems a little inexperienced here, but prefers the trap to the peanuts on the ground. Mb/ow flies in from the west--in and out again. Pb/mr flies in and feeds next to Mr. Go. He displays and she opens and closes her bill in a submissive gesture. I think I remember she was banded here last year too. I wish I knew the geneology; I’m curious about her relationship to Resident Male. Could she be pb/mp’s sister?

At one point this morning, there were more unbanded birds than I could keep track of. One, in particular, was interesting—barely pink gape and some tail feathers that were solid black, others striped with blue. Perhaps this is an older juvenile bird.
End time: 09:30
Total Birds: 12+

2007-06-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

07:00
Blue sky in the east with clouds moving in from the west

Metal/blue|red/green arrives first this morning with what appear to be downy feathers clinging to its back. Unbanded follows; pecks at the seed wedged tightly between the boards of the deck, all that remain after the raccoon party last night. The size and shape of the bill are designed precisely for the task. Metal/red|green/orange swoops down for a quick survey, passes on the hulls, and flies south. I hear his call in the distance, recognize the hoarse end note and bring out the peanuts. He feeds on seeds, not peanuts yet.

Metal/black|orange/white perches on the deck, takes some seed, stands tall, looks side to side, alert to the possibility of a chase. Resident male chases him though not far--to the roof, to the feeder, then back to a pile of seed on the deck, where he feeds successfully. His persistence has paid off. Unbanded grabs one peanut, perches on a tree branch and begins the nut cracking ritual, toes clinging, tap, tap, tap, he nimbly places one half a nut next to his foot, eats the other, and is chased by resident male, who returns to devour the half nut left on the branch.

Resident female perches on the edge of the feeder, positions her cache, as always, criss-cross, and flies south--no lingering for her. Mr/go, her partner, hops clear into the trap, making me think again that Pia will be successful trapping him this year. I've narrowed the opening by sliding the trap door to the right, and placed nuts far against the back wall.

A large rat scurries up the back side of the feeder, tries to enter through the hexagonal openings of the chicken wire and is frightened when I open the door, he disappears quickly. I've missed my photo op.

Unbanded is back, eats one peanut in the tree, returns to the pile and begins shopping. First, he picks up a nut, rotates it in his mouth, places it in his gullet. He thrusts it forward, rotates again, spits it out, picks up another nut, and repeats the same procedure. The new nut bulges, clearly visible from the forced opening of his bill. He shops again, now for his second nut, picks up/puts down, picks up/puts down, over eight times, until he finally chooses and flies south.

Mb/ow perches on the feeder's edge, eating seeds, although there are still lots of peanuts from which to choose. He seems a bit skittish in the trap, is easily startled by sound, though persists, indicating a certain kind of boldness in a territory not claimed as his own.

A new unbanded bird, legs swollen from mites, perches, quickly grabs a nut and flies off. I can hear the tap tapping in the distance. Mw/bw takes his first turn for the day at the feeder. Mb/rg feeds off and on, the down no longer attached to its back. Mb/obl returns, perches at the feeder, fills up on seed, and flies south--always in the same direction. Her mate calls raucously in the background.

Purple/black-metal/red, unbanded, mb/ow all swoop to the bench at the same time. Pb/mr is first, takes only one nut quickly and flies. Unbanded is second, while mb/ow lingers. He flies off in a more westward direction, after moving clear into the trap. Pb/mr returns, once again, only taking one nut. Next trip, she perches on the feeder, but still only takes one nut, appearing skittish. Unbanded with leg mites perches, lowers his head into the trap, lifts his posterior, and exposes a new set of tail feathers patterned neatly on top of the old. I think this bird is one of last year's juveniles that was never banded.

Total birds: 7-8

2007-06-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

New Bird?
purple/black - metal/red

2007-06-27T06:44:00.001-07:00

0644

A clear, sunny morning. Metal/blue - red/green and an unbanded were here, at the south feeder, collecting the remains of seed missed by the raccoons last night. Two chickadees are bouncing around above the feeder. Peanuts are in place now; I'm ready with binoculars, hot morning coffee. Watching. Waiting.

0659
Purple/blue-metal/purple and metal/orange-black/blue, last year's juvenile and the resident female arrive. Metal/orange-black/blue grabs two peanuts from the feeder in her characteristic criss/cross pattern while purple/blue - metal/purple chooses from the bench. These two birds are often heard rattling as they approach and leave the feeding area. If my guess is right, they share a mother/daughter relationship.

Uh oh--Panacea--the stray cat is lurking. Sleek, seal-like, my antidote to petlessness; he is a threat to jays. I bring him inside so I can continue watching. He sits restlessly on my lap, switching his tail like the snow leopard I saw on PBS until I give up, put him out the front door, and shoo him north, keeping my fingers crossed he won't return.

Metal/black-orange/white chooses a peanut and flies north. I'm thinking Pia told me this bird is Droopy's mate. If so, Droopy must be sitting on a nest. I haven't seen her in ages. She is of particular interest to me, not only because of her droopy wing, but because her mate was killed here, at the west feeder by a cat. A miserable jay-day for me; the fact that the bird was chosen to be stuffed, and used for boldness studies, offered little consolation.

A lone junco picks at some seed. Did it get left behind? I hate calling the birds "it."--would be more satisfing to attach a gender to him/her.

Metal/red-green/orange, my male, goes into the trap. Pia will be glad to know this--he was impossible to catch last season, much too wary. I told Pia I thought he recognized her car and became particularly illusive once he heard the noisy muffler of her aged, maroon Subaru chug up the driveway. He is as interested in seed as peanuts now and is busy chasing others away, maintaining his dominant status at the feeder.

Metal/orange-black/blue, resident female, arrives again, from the south, skipping from branch to branch towards the feeder, wiping her beak, back and forth, at each stop.

Unbanded shopper, I suspect purple/blue-metal/purple's mate, again picks up a peanut, puts it down; picks up a peanut, puts it down and makes me wonder what criteria he's using to choose just the right one. I think it has to do with shape or size. He will try many rotations, flips, translations--a veritable course in geometry--to finally make the selection. He seems strong and confident.

Metal/orange-red/green chases metal/red-green/white. Metal/red-orange/green is feeding on the seed on the deck. Metal/red-green/white lands on the bench parallel to the deck, lifts his right leg up high and tucks it in, now one-legged; he perches like a wading bird, waiting on the bench for his turn. When metal/orange-red/green flies off, he moves to the vacant spot, takes his peanut and flies.

Metal/red-green/orange (male) chases Metal/black-orange/white (Droopy's mate).

Metal/black-orange/white goes clear into the trap, flies north again.

Metal/blue-red/green chases the resident female and she yields to him, scurrying upward branch by branch, "chucka, chucka, chucka, chuck." Who's making the sound?

Metal/white-black/white and metal/white-red/green show up.

Total Birds: 9-10

2160 Terrace/South Feeder

2007-06-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

0090-0010
A still white sky, quiet morning other than a few chickadee/dee sounds, watching southward. Peanuts are placed to the very back of the trap with two piles, one each on the deck and bench below. Metal/Red-Green/Orange (my resident male) is waiting in the crabapple for peanuts along with his mate, Metal/Blue-Orange/Black and an unbanded bird. MB/OB has a very swollen left leg (mites) and holds it up, gingerly. Both of the resident pair are feeding on seeds, filling their gullets, then flying south.

Metal/Blue-Red/Green arrives, goes clear into the feeder (this will be an easy bird to trap) then flies southeast. Next, Metal/White -Black/White takes a peanut, perches above the feeder and carefully cracks the nut, placing the contents gently on the branch, taps into the nut, then wipes its beak. Resident female chases him/her, though mw/blackw is persistent. He comes back quickly, goes clear into the trap and I notice he's growing new tail feathers; they look worn. mr/gw arrives, eats his first peanut in the tree, then flies off SE.

MBlue/RG returns and shares the bench with the resident female, each taking a peanut and flying off. Resident female looks much older, grayer than MB/RG. Male begins calling, first cheep/cheep/cheep/cheep/cheep, than kwaaa/kwaaa. Metal/White-Red/Green comes, takes a peanut very quickly and flies off, southwest.

Fairly well developed pink-gaped juvenile arrives, takes a peanut off the bench, jumps down to the ground, then flies south.

Mw/rg returns, goes clear into the trap, drops a peanut to the ground, grabs one in his bill and flies westward.

Unbanded shopper, picks up/puts down, picks up/puts down.

Overall, relatively quiet morning.Purple/blue-metal/purple, a bird almost always here, not seen. After several seed trips, resident pair began choosing peanuts rather than seed. Two little chickadees busy in the tree. Lots of peanuts left as I end this observation.

Total Number of Birds: 7-8

2007-06-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

metal/blue | red/green
metal/red | green/white
unbanded with a tuft on right shoulder
metal/red | green/orange (my male)

2007-06-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

2160 Terrace Avenue
south feeder
6/25/07
9:00 sunny

metal/blue|orange/black: Resident female filling up on seeds, flying south.