Another common resident of the northeast, the blue jay – these members of the corvid family can be found year-round, although they are as often heard as seen, scolding other birds, squirrels, or humans from the safety of a high perch. In backyard settings, jays have unfortunately gained a reputation for being noisy, as well as messy eaters who will gladly empty a bird feeder in a morning.
I don’t share any antipathy toward jays and instead find them charming, and challenging. Like most corvids I have photographed, blue jays are savvy and cautious, and won’t let me get too close. This makes a good capture difficult, of course, but sometimes it’s those hard-to-work-with subjects that are the most rewarding in the end.
In this instance, the jay was at the top of a dead tree just off the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center parking lot, and was calling up a storm. He was at the edge of my reach and high above, but there was no foliage to block my view, and he wasn’t concerned about my being there, so it was worth a few shots.
Of interest, if you check out the sky directly above the vertical bit of tree top, you’ll see steam rising from it! This isn’t something I’ve seen very often, but it does happen with dead wood when cold, damp mornings turn into sunny, warm days. I didn’t notice it when I was taking the photos, having been too focused on the blue jay.
A good reminder to remain aware and not become “target fixated” while getting the shot!