It was a heat and sunny early morning as I sat at the kitchen table experiencing a cup of coffee and listening to the birds twittering exterior the window.
There is a shrub just outdoors the window that attracts catbirds and cardinals for nesting every single spring. The rest of the 12 months it is a staging region for all kinds of birds.
Out of the blue the tranquil of the early morning was pierced by the shrieking of a Blue jay who had just arrived in the shrub exterior the window.
It was startling to say the least. Gibson Dwelling is frequented by quite a few distinct species of chicken, but jays are typically only occasional site visitors to the fowl feeders in the Mother nature Middle – not lengthy guests who sit and shriek exterior the kitchen area window.
5 minutes experienced gone by with out reprieve from the shrieking when I decided to go outdoors and check out the scenario out.
Strolling out the again doorway and all around the herb back garden, I could see the Blue jay sitting down on a branch suitable outside the house the kitchen home windows. As I slowly but surely built my way to stand right beneath the screaming jay, he produced no effort to move from his place or stop his noisy presence.
The vibrant blue feathers, contrasting towards the black markings and pure white chest of this bird gave proof of this getting a male Blue jay. Female jays have a little bit of grayish buff to their chests.
The Blue jay is a chicken that doesn’t have a distinct song that it sings. Rather, it emits numerous distinctive calls for particular desires.
This certain jay was by yourself in the shrub, screaming intermittently, irrespective of my presence directly beneath. Indeed, he seemed not even to treatment that I was in such shut proximity.
Then, off in the distance I read another fowl call back again. It was a different jay! The screaming jay over my head darted back and forth, calling out to the jay in the length.
A few of minutes later on the screaming jay in the shrub was joined by yet another jay – a person with a a little bit of grayish buff to it’s upper body. A female.
Ah, now I comprehended why the male jay was screaming. He was calling his woman to his locale!
Blue jays mate for lifestyle. Immediately after an early spring spherical of lots of suitors, the female will pick a person from the bunch that she is most amazed with and dismiss all the some others.
As soon as she accepts an provide of foodstuff from her chosen male, the pair is bonded and will remain collectively.
Right after crafting several “practice nests” alongside one another, nest building will commence in earnest. The feminine will lay a clutch of 2-7 eggs and both of those mom and dad will perform at feeding the nestlings until they are about a few weeks aged.
Blue jay nestlings are inclined to leave the nest all with each other, but will continue to be with the dad and mom for yet another four to 8 weeks. Through this time, the parents will proceed feeding the young jays.
This post initially appeared on Star Courier: Jeanette Gibson outdoor column: That screaming jay