Blue Jays | a 7 Image Story

Nov 8, 2020 | 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Blue Jay, Blue Jays, Faces, Nature, Nikon 1 V3

Blue Jays | a 7 Image Story   The Blue Jay is a common songbird in northern Illinois.  Native to North America, at least some Blue Jays stay around all winter.  They are beautiful against the snow. They seem to be a hardly bird; living up to 26 years old.

Blue Jays like to live at the forest’s edge, especially near oak trees, as well as woodlots and parks. They mainly feed on nuts and seeds so they show up every day to the bird feeder; particularly, when snow covers the ground.

Blue Jays are well known for their intelligence and tight family bonds.  They make a large variety of calls that can carry long distances.  They frequently mimic the calls of hawks, especially the Red-shouldered Hawk, also common in northern Illinois.  They are very aggressive and sometime attack other birds. Occasionally, they may eat eggs and nestlings of other birds,

Thousands of Blue Jays migrate in flocks along the Great Lakes each year, but little is known about their migration.  Young jays are more likely to migrate than adults, but adults also migrate. No one has determined why they migrate, when they migrate, or why some migrate while others do not.

Over the Shoulder  Blue Jays look beautiful no matter what time of year.  This image was captured at the end of April.  Notice the Nikon 1 V3 with its 2.7 crop factor continues to be my go to camera for capturing bird images.   Looking at Feeder  Just about 3 feet above these bush branches hangs a winter bird seed feeder.  This Blue Jay looks so calm and serene looking at the feeder.  Actually, Blue Jays are very flighty.  They do not sit in any one place for long and they fly at the slightest disturbance.  Capturing a good photograph of them can be very challenging.   Bright Day  Winter has many cloudy days.  Capturing this Blue Jay image on a nice bright day was a real treat.   Stretching for Flight   Just before taking to flight, this Blue Jay leans forward stretching into the air.   Power Profile   What’s a power profile?  It’s a profile image captured from a low angle which enhances the strength of the image.   Ground Search  Yes, Blue Jays will frequently go to ground to get seeds.  A little snow on the grass doesn’t bother them.   Spring Snow   A little snow adds a lot to a Blue Jay image.

Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Blue Jays.

Click any image below for a slide show.