Bluejays!

[rain_gryphon]

I now have full-time Bluejays. Rather a quantity of them, in fact, at least three, and perhaps as many as five. Their colours are already looking muted, more of a dusty greyish-blue than anything. They seem to have replaced the Grackles at the peanut tray. All of the feeders are less busy than at the peak season, given that there's not that overwhelming pressure to find food for the nestlings. Still, I'm offering free food, and it's easy to get, which has some appeal regardless. I've seen a couple of the Jays now pop down to get a peanut, peck it apart, then go around the lawn hunting bugs for a while before coming back for another peanut. The Sparrows, of course, are happy with the seed tube - having all the babies grown up frees them from bug-hunting, and they can stuff themselves with millet and then just enjoy the sunshine.

I really need to build a winter shelter. I also should probably make a Starling box or two, for the Spring, especially if we're going to have Jays around. And the Sparrow boxes need cleaning out and sterilizing.

Remarkably colourful scene, with a Cardinal, the Jays, and a Red-bellied Woodpecker all there. It looks like the picture on a bag of birdseed.