Gray JayA small treat for Pretty Girl is a blueberry mini-muffin. I didn’t put any out because I knew blue jays would steal them. But not putting any out did not stop a gray jay. It thoroughly searched the fox food area and came up with a snow-covered one that neither the fox nor I had noticed from a day or two ago. The jay flew off with it, leaving me impressed with how thoroughly gray jays can search for and recognize food. I wanted to document that the gray jay would eat mini-muffins, so I put three of them in the bird feeding area where I could get a picture. The gray jay did not come back, but soon a chickadee was pecking at one, followed by a red-breasted nuthatch doing the same. They ate only a little, though, so the major part of the muffins are waiting for Pretty Girl. I hope she comes in a couple hours around 8 PM like last evening. I don’t know where she is the rest of the day.
 Chickadee |
 Red-breasted nuthatch |
Back to work.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center