Come See

Blue Jays lunch on cracked corn leftovers scattered on spruce. In discovery and discussion, they are screaming children at play. Come see, come see.

Blue Jays at the Feeder

 

Eating a sunflower seed

 

 

 

Looking them over

 

 

 

Choosing the right one

 

 

 

 

What now?

 

 

 

Perhaps this angle is better?

Changing Seasons

The changing seasons burst with drama in New Brunswick.  One week ago, the leaves were red, orange, yellow, and still on the trees everywhere I looked.  Now half the leaves lie on the ground, edges curling, turning brown and rust; the fragrance of damp earth and leaf compost in the autumn air.

Often autumn means time to mulch the leaves, to mow for the last time, to trim the garden’s dying tops, to bring in the lawn furniture, put away the lawn swing, cover the less hardy roses and wrap the magnolia.  Autumn means completing chores and preparing for winter.

But these last days of fall are full of gifts, not just work.  A sheltered outside corner and one remaining chair make a peaceful break for coffee and time to read, as I sit warmed by the sun. 

The last of October and early November paint a different colour palette, in shades of grey; the stones and rock wall show again, tree trunks come out of hiding.  Stark tree branches display silhouettes of black arches against a blue sky.  Spruce and fir and pine show off myriad tones of green and the larch dances gold in the damper areas.  The rich smell of the earth, the gently decomposing plants, the soon-to-be-resting shrubs all fan a faint musk to the breeze.

The sound of birds is different now from summer bird sound.  The “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” of Black-capped Chickadees, the buzzing rising “zzreeee” of Pine Siskins, the “jay-jay-jay” of Blue Jays and the raspy “ka-squawk” of Ring-Neck Pheasants predominate.  Red squirrels scratch over the pavement and crunch through the dry leaves as they seek and hide their treasures.

 

 

 

Small children walk by our house on their way to the playground or to school. Sometimes I listen to the bubbling voices calling out in astonishment. “Look at this red leaf. Oh, look at this dark orange one. I can use this piece of rock to chalk on the road. Hey, look, a worm. A ladybug. A pheasant. A feather.”   Every small thing is a source of wonder for them. Every puddle is a realm of delight.

How much of the changing seasons do we miss? How many delights do we pass by on our way to complete the chores? How many wonders are right in front of us? How much over-the-top beauty goes unnoticed?

Stop a moment, breathe, see and hear, fill your heart. Don’t miss the show.

The changing seasons burst with drama. 

 

Photos and words are copyright Carol Steel. 

 

 

 



 

 



Blue Jays in July

Blue Jays in July

Our yard is alive with Blue Jays this July. 

Loose flocks fly in and around our deciduous

trees, shrubs and hedges.

Blue Jays forage on the ground and among our garden's vegetation

for nuts, berries, insects and birdseed.

They can also be bullies,

stealing eggs or nestlings

from smaller birds.

But they are beautiful bullies.

Lately, we've had a stretch of warm days.

We see the Blue Jays drinking water

from the birdbath and watch them bathing, 

enjoying themselves with enthusiasm.

Blue Jays sit in the trees near the birdbath,

noisy and screaming jay-jay-jay

prior to landing to splash and play.

Sometimes one will guard the area

from a perch in a nearby shrub

while the other one washes.

At those times, they speak to each other

in softer tones and sound like they are

saying queedle-queedle-queedle.

We enjoy these bright blue birds.

They are striking with their blue crest,

black necklace, blue upper parts, white underparts,

white bar and flecking on their wings,

dark bars and white corners on blue tail and a black bill.

We  know Blue Jays can be bullies

but they are entertaining to watch just the same.

Our yard is large and open enough to be a home base

for a variety of wildlife.

We are fortunate to be visited by many birds and animals

during each season of the year.

Right now, the Blue Jays are here.

All photos are mine.

You can see another of my posts about Blue Jays from

July 22, 2011 by clicking on this link.

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Where are the birds?

We feed ducks and pheasants each day.  Our yard provides shelter to robins, blue jays, grackles, chickadees and goldfinches when they choose to visit.  Crows nest in the woods behind our street, and in a cedar taller than the house, in the neighbour’s yard.

Where did the birds go?

Today the ducks have flown away and returned many times.  They did not land and stay to eat, kept bursting skyward.  The crows and blue jays were noisier than usual.  Raucous circling in the clear sky.  So clear, it was endless blue. The chubby robins were hesitant and brief in their trips to the seed cones of the Staghorn Sumac. The cats, who spend hours on indoor chairs watching birdie TV outside, meowed and moved from one viewing point to another.  They were up and down stairs racing from window to window, and up and down from their chairs all afternoon.

Agitation and noise.  Birds flew through and paused for a moment but did not settle and feed.

Mid-afternoon I discovered why.  As I sat writing at the kitchen table, I caught the movement of a shadow across the snow.  I looked up and saw a Peregrine Falcon drop through the branches of maple, turn and wheel between the sumac and the spruce, chase up through the hill that is our yard closing in on a starling.

I stared, my mouth agape.  I’ve never seen a Peregrine Falcon before.  It was blue-grey, heavy-breasted, with a 3.5 foot wing span, swinging through the yard with feet clenched, ready to strike.  The two birds flew up and over the garage and out of visual range.  It happened in a moment.

Though I know the starling likely ended becoming supper, it was a moment I won’t forget.  Raw and powerful.  The wheel of life and death, the cycle we all share. 

And the Peregrine Falcon, it was magnificent!

Our regular birds didn't share my opinion and showed wisdom by avoiding the yard today.

If you click on words in colour,

you will go to another website with additional information.

Blue Jays, Beautiful Bullies

Blue Jays, Beautiful Bullies

On our property, resourceful Blue Jays are everywhere right now.  I hear their noisy screams of “jay-jay-jay” and their nasal-sounding “queedle- queedle” in the yard.  They fly from tree to tree; flashes of vivid blue crests with the black bills and black necklaces.

They are beautiful birds nearly 31 centimetres long, with white under-parts and striking electric-blue backs decorated with white bars and flecking on their wings, and white corners on their summer-sky-coloured tails.

In this yard, they are often in the company of Common Grackles.  Perhaps these two breeds are chasing each other; both types of birds are given to bullying behaviour.  Blue Jays will harass other birds and will steal eggs and nestlings.

The Blue Jays and Common Grackles spend time in our hedges, the tall bushy Siberian Elm at the back and the fledgling lilac hedge at the side.  They’re foraging for nuts, berries and insects.  The Jays’ vibrant blues and whites make them easy to spot amongst the bottle green foliage and on the emerald lawns.

The Blue Jays aggressively chase cats away from our yard.  The neighbourhood cats regularly range through, hiding in the long grass near the feeders, hoping for a feathered breakfast.  I chase the cats away too, protective of my chickadees and finches. The town by-law against having unleashed, nuisance cats running free is largely ignored, to my frustration and to the detriment of small birds here.

Perhaps the Blue Jays and I can keep the roaming cats from the feeders and the tinier birds.  Then who will keep the Blue Jays from attacking their nestlings and eggs?

NOTE:  You can link to another of my posts about Blue Jays by clicking here.

Photo is mine.