The Blue Jay is an eastern bird. One range map marks it as here, but sparsely, another range map doesn’t show it here at all. I have seen one here only once before, some six years ago.
The Blue Jay is a corvid and seems to compete with one of our local corvids, the Steller’s Jay. Each keeps its own territory with the divide being roughly the Rocky Mountains.
A Blue Jay pausing on a branch as it watches a Steller’s Jay.
A little something to eat.
“I think that I am a bit out of my natural habitat.”
Great find! Is this at Kokanee [Creek]?
Paul, no about 2 to 3 km to the west of the Creek.
Giving thanks for the blue images and all the fall beauty surrounding us!
Here in Riondel, we’ve had a pair of Blue Jays spend the winter for the past decade or more,, along with the gangs of Stellers. They’re easy to “spot” because of their distinctive call and they tend to hang around certain neighbourhoods in this tiny town. Perhaps they have vacation homes here? They’re certainly gorgeous.
Gorgeous photos once again. Thanks for the related differences of both species!
About 6 years ago we had a pair of Blue Jays for 2 Octobers in a row.
Beautiful birds. I thought perhaps they had migrated from Creston.
Fabulous photos as always Alistair, thank you.
The Creston to Boswell area is “blessed” with dozens of Cyanocitta crestatta/Blue Jay. Cranbrook provides appearances all year around along with the “kids” in early summer.
It’s that way now in Creston town, This time of year with the hazelnuts available they are quite vocal, screaming from one tall tree to another.
I observed Blue Jays when I first came to Creston in 1973. I was at a gentleman’s place for noon-dinner and there were 7 Jays coming to his feeder. Their territory here is mainly the Creston Valley benchlands and the residential communities where they are well fed at feeder- restaurants, serving cracked corn and peanuts, in the shell.
The Blue Jays are doing well here. In the seventies they used to migrate here for the fall, winter and spring, but now they are all-year-round residents. I am aware of 6 nesting sites and have seen young birds. They are rather “fuzzy”. I like the appearance of the Blue Jay. The Steller’s Jay is an inhabitant of coniferous/coniferous-deciduous forest. where as, the Blue Jay largely favors deciduous cover and hides their nests in brushy woods in and around residential areas.
I intended to mention that an acquaintance of mine from Boswell photographed a Blue Jay/Steller’s Jay cross that came to his feeder about 15 years ago. That has been published in my Out there column in the Creston Valley Advance.
I would share the photo if I was told how to do that.