Baby Blue Jay

Apache was barking wildly at something in the front yard a few weeks ago. At first I thought she was catching a gopher: she was barking at the ground and darting and snapping at something at the base of the front wall. I went to check it out and discovered that she was trying to impress a scrub jay nestling with her ferocity (and failing miserably: the young bird was completely unfazed by her display). I was worried that she might have injured the bird, but her border collie bite inhibition is quite good and the bird didn't even have any dog-drool on it.



I love scrub jays: I find the sound of their skrawking oddy cheerful...and they're my second favorite bird after mocking birds (I love the 24-hour songfest, especially when I'm up late working and they assure me that I'm not the last living thing on earth).

( Operation Blue Jay )

EDIT: Thanks for the huge props! Most if the credit goes to the tenaciousness of the scrub jay parents: they were constantly around the noob chick, feeding him and "ike-ike-ing" (thanks for giving me the onomonopoeia, Okojosan!) when danger (me, dogs) were near. In fact, while I was busy making the first "nest", the chick wandered off across the driveway and I found him via his parents' ike-ing whenever I got near.

Baby Blue Jay

Apache was barking wildly at something in the front yard a few weeks ago. At first I thought she was catching a gopher: she was barking at the ground and darting and snapping at something at the base of the front wall. I went to check it out and discovered that she was trying to impress a scrub jay nestling with her ferocity (and failing miserably: the young bird was completely unfazed by her display). I was worried that she might have injured the bird, but her border collie bite inhibition is quite good and the bird didn't even have any dog-drool on it.



I love scrub jays: I find the sound of their skrawking oddy cheerful...and they're my second favorite bird after mocking birds (I love the 24-hour songfest, especially when I'm up late working and they assure me that I'm not the last living thing on earth).

( Operation Blue Jay )

EDIT: Thanks for the huge props! Most if the credit goes to the tenaciousness of the scrub jay parents: they were constantly around the noob chick, feeding him and "ike-ike-ing" (thanks for giving me the onomonopoeia, Okojosan!) when danger (me, dogs) were near. In fact, while I was busy making the first "nest", the chick wandered off across the driveway and I found him via his parents' ike-ing whenever I got near.

Baby Blue Jay

Apache was barking wildly at something in the front yard a few weeks ago. At first I thought she was catching a gopher: she was barking at the ground and darting and snapping at something at the base of the front wall. I went to check it out and discovered that she was trying to impress a scrub jay nestling with her ferocity (and failing miserably: the young bird was completely unfazed by her display). I was worried that she might have injured the bird, but her border collie bite inhibition is quite good and the bird didn't even have any dog-drool on it.



I love scrub jays: I find the sound of their skrawking oddy cheerful...and they're my second favorite bird after mocking birds (I love the 24-hour songfest, especially when I'm up late working and they assure me that I'm not the last living thing on earth).

( Operation Blue Jay )

EDIT: Thanks for the huge props! Most if the credit goes to the tenaciousness of the scrub jay parents: they were constantly around the noob chick, feeding him and "ike-ike-ing" (thanks for giving me the onomonopoeia, Okojosan!) when danger (me, dogs) were near. In fact, while I was busy making the first "nest", the chick wandered off across the driveway and I found him via his parents' ike-ing whenever I got near.