My Stellar's Jay!

[JohnHuff]

A year ago we started picking up acorns during our bike rides and then putting them in our backyard. We were hoping to feed our squirrels during the cold winter so they wouldn't starve. And our acorns were indeed disappearing though we didn't see the culprits for a while. We would put them in a heap and when that got boring, we put them in a line, then in a line coming closer to our backdoor, then spelling words with the acorns. After a while we finally saw who they were and surprisingly, it was a pair of blue jays and not squirrels.

Those birds were fast and would fly and swoop down and grab them and take off for home. I watched them through a pair of binocs and saw how pretty they were. We ended up picking up hundreds of acorns and hope that the birds had a great winter and successfully bred a whole bunch of chicks. We eventually ran out of acorns after winter. Here's a website on this pretty bird:
http://identify.what...ellers_Jay.aspx

This fall we went picking acorns again and picked up a huge box of them. We just started putting them down on some stone steps and within a few hours the Stellar's Jays came back again! I guess they have pretty good memories. This time I was prepared with a camera and tripod but I wasn't prepared at how fast they were. I put down about 1/2 a dozen and missed the first ones. I got a shot (which turned out to be blurry) and another empty shot even while I was pressing the button! Anyway, here is my only shot of it.



I'm going to try again in the next few days!

 

[addy1]

I carried a bunch of acorns home with us from delaware. Haven't put them out yet, we have stellar jay's bet they will snag them too.
Neat John

 

[j.w]

They come here to eat our Hazel nuts, Filberts what ever you want to call them. I love those pretty loud mouthed birds! They always seem as tho they are scolding me for being here on their property :razz:

 

[Craig58]

Got an oak tree in my back yard and tons of acorns. Next time your in DE Addy, let me know. You can have all you want. Where in DE do you visit? I only live ten minutes from DE and I belong to the fire service in DE. You have to visit our pond next time you're up!

I've never seen any jays snatch acorns in our yard.

You need to use a camera that can take video!

Craig

 

[Fishylove]

Pretty bird! Have never seen them in this area, but we have Blue Jays, they are very pretty too.

 

[addy1]

Got an oak tree in my back yard and tons of acorns. Next time your in DE Addy, let me know. You can have all you want. Where in DE do you visit? I only live ten minutes from DE and I belong to the fire service in DE. You have to visit our pond next time you're up!

I've never seen any jays snatch acorns in our yard.

You need to use a camera that can take video!

Craig

My honey's dad has a place 5 minutes from bethany beach. Frankford, DE We go there quite often, about a 15 minute drive to ocean city boardwalk.

 

[Craig58]

Addy,

Ok.. I'm at the other end of the state. Oh well.

Craig

 

[JohnHuff]

OK, I tried again today, but didn't see them. Instead I got pics of this little guy. He's about 1/2 the size of the Stellar's Jay, about 4 inches tall. Anyone know who he is?






PS, I'm really loving this bird photography thing!

 

[addy1]

House wren? maybe, does it keep its tail pointing straight up at times?

 

[Craig58]

I think it is this: Hermit Thrush

See what you think.

http://birdweb.org/birdweb/images/HETH_tg.jpg

Craig

 

[JohnHuff]

Craig, I think you've got it!!! I thought it was an American Pipit: http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/269/portrait/American_Pipit.aspx but the Hermit Thrush is a better match!

 

[Craig58]

Craig, I think you've got it!!! I thought it was an American Pipit: http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/269/portrait/American_Pipit.aspx but the Hermit Thrush is a better match!

The Pipet does look close. But I think the wing layering and coloring is wrong. The thrush looked more a match.

 

[JohnHuff]

Well, that was quick! I put down a few acorns during lunch. Saw no activity whatsoever, came back in 20 mins and they were all gone!


Even when the Steller's Jays come, they're real quick about it. So, can you guys think of a better way to capture pics of these guys?
1) I'm thinking, maybe I should put the acorns down at a very specific time, like 12 noon exactly so I know when they'll come, but I don't know if birds have an internal clock.
2) Put the acorns in some kind of container or frame so it takes them longer to pick them up. Any idea on this?

TIA.

 

[Craig58]

Maybe take a milk jug and cut a large hole on one side. You may need to put a heavy, flat stone in the jug to hold it down. Put a few nuts in side on the far side of the jug. Put some nuts outside the jug. It might take them a few days but keep putting the nuts closer and closer to the jug. Than just leave one outside. Once they start taking them from inside the jug, it should slow them down enough for you to get a picture. Use the training time to get them use to a specific time of day to get the nuts. They will learn to look for them at specific times.

Craig

 

[j.w]

If just one time you would like to get a few nice photos you could be nasty and glue the suckers down............get the photo and then be nice and put out some extras to make up for pranking them :razz: