Blue Jay Flight | Bird Watching Binoculars

Do You Train Your Squirrels? [ July 16th, 2010 ] Posted in » Blog

My Kindergarten Class

Since I moved into my home nine years ago, I’ve had squirrels. My property backs up to a wooded area that borders several properties so I’ve had my fair share. When I started birding seven years ago I decided that I would feed them as well. Since I employ a raccoon baffle on my main feeder station and squirrel baffles on my bluebird houses, I wasn’t concerned about my back yard becoming overly popular. I have a corncob feeder and squirrel box on my back fence and a squngee hanging from one of my smaller trees. There was an initial learning curve for them to learn and trust these feeders but with a mixture of adults and children back there the knowledge was acquired. Whether it took an adult to learn and show a little one or the little ones just happened on it by being nosey, it did happen.

This is no longer the case. Read More …

Cool Blue Jay Flight Tricks

Can A Blue Jay Do Tricks?

Last winter I was putting out food on a cold weekday morning. As usual, the Blue Jays had spotted me and were squawking for peanuts. I’ve always found it uncanny how there won’t be one in my backyard until I toss peanuts onto my aggregate patio and the sound attracts them. Seemingly out of nowhere, they fly in from the four corners. It cracks me up.

That morning was no different. I set out my platform feeder feeder and went back inside to get some peanuts for it and the area around it. When I came out, there was a Blue Jay perched on the gutter behind me just staring at me. Because they are so quick to start I turned back around and went back to what I was doing. I turned around again and he was still perched there. I thought he looked like a pet waiting for a treat so I decided to give him one. I turned back away from him, took one peanut and tossed it straight up in the air just a little higher than he was perched. I almost fell over when he snagged it out of the air!

That’s right. He just aimed and snagged it. I’d never seen anything like it before.