Hunters and Prey
... There's a pair of Western Scrub Jays, hunting in our yard. Earlier this spring, they had started construction on a nest in one of our trees, but we think they ended up nesting in the neighbors' yard. The two birds are currently hard at work, feeding a little family. The jays are particularly keen on the bees in our backyard apiary. They grab up as many bees as they can hold in their crop , sometimes stopping to rub the stingers off on a branch or fence-top. We can hear their babies shrieking with excitement when the parents approach the nest. (Interestingly, Robb has noticed that the resident mockingbird has learned this cry, and now starts his cycle of vocalizations with the sound of hungry baby jays.) Jays are very attentive parents, usually raising only one brood a season. The parents form long-term bonds, and the young may associate with their family for an entire year. Also, jays are smart, damn smart . Western Scrub Jays are opportunistic omnivores. On pleasa