These two local blue jay's visit my picnic table bird feeder daily. I took an old picnic table and turned it into a feast table for the birds. I only lay a few handfuls a day for the local birds to eat.
I am also harvesting my sunflower seeds to give them a special treat along with giving them a suet cake.
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HOW BEAUTIFUL. I LOVE BLUE JAYS AND CARDINALS
THIS IS A GREAT PICTURE
I am a bird lover too! Great pic.
You have a great shot of those bluejays! Lovely, aren't they? They are one of my favorite birds and here is a picture I took in December from my kitchen window.
A few years ago I rescued a HUGE fluffy VERY young bird and raised it in a large new cage as it then turned out to be a loving, healthy BLUE JAY! I intended to turn it loose earlier but learned that without it's mother to teach it to integrate socially with other birds, learn their language, how to fly, etc., it would NOT survive in the wild, so I became a willing slave to this demanding darling.
I went to the local street light regularly at night with a cricket box I'd found at a bait shop when on a fishing trip and then routinely collected all the crickets during the right season for it. They were it's favorite food.
I wound up having to teach it to fly myself, in my bathroom, taking it up high on my finger and quickly lowering as it took off flying, playing "bounce off" on all four walls.
It woke me up each morning, flew down to me as I entered the bathroom each day, made only a slight mess to clean , played with whatever I gave it, mostly tiny bits of toys, loved a tiny silk flower center, and a particular small button the best.
I stapled a large dried vine to the corner, and hung a large "swing" I'd made from it, which "BJ" loved.
One day I felt I owed it to BJ to allow it to fly away if it wanted. I took it out back, opened the cage, lifted him/her (I never knew which, but suspected it was a male) out and encouraged him to fly, which he did.
My heart nearly failed with the lump in my throat growing larger.
One hour passed until I noticed that he'd gone to the top of the neighbor's tree and began to tweet in it's familiar voice that I had learned, and recognized from it's earliest days with me. I tweeted back. This lasted all afternoon, but BJ never moved.
I thought, and prayed, "Lord, this poor little creature of yours needs to be outside. If it's your will I am willing to let it try to make it on it's own now. I've loved and cared for it the best I knew how. Thank you for the time we had together..(which was about 8 mo.). Amen."
I began picking my things up, resolved to go inside
with BJ's cage, until I heard him tweet and watched him fly the long distance RIGHT BACK INTO HIS OPEN CAGE!!! It was a bittersweet moment, to say the least. I needed the rest, he needed the release back to where he really belonged, yet, he wanted to be where he was familiar, knowing nothing about the outside.
He was with me for another year, then began to hack one day. I thought if I gave him a single itsy-bitsy "grain" of the mildest antihistamine, I might save his life...again. He seemed to greatly improve for a few days, until I reached over unusually to get something near him and he looked up with GREAT FEAR, eyes bugged, and he fell over dead.
I believe had I had the money I should have taken him to some sort of vet, but later realized I had cleaned the toilet and forgotten to flush the residual cleaner quickly as I always had before. It might have been a chemical pneumonia I'd inadvertantly caused by accident.
I'd researched the Internet and learned they also get virus' specific to their breed and don't live too long.
I cried for months, missed him so much I almost didn't get over whatever happened. It was so hard
He had trusted me implicitely since I was the closest thing to a mother. He had performed the most exotic tricks, dips and dives, new ones each day, it seemed...just for me, trying to impress me each time he was able to wake me very early.
But in all of that experience, I learned just how very
fragile life really is, from the most frail and loving of God's creatures to the one's God loves the most, we
humans, separately created as special to Him.
It isn't His will that any of us perish, and He knows all about little BJ and the sweetness we shared. I believe that He sent BJ to keep me company during a time of greater sorrow of losing my husband of so many years. I also learned early on with BJ that even if a smaller Sparrow falls, God knows and sees it, that we humans are all His and He cares so very much more for us.
Thank you for this lovely reminder of another chapter of my life with my "BJ" Blue Jay, and you're doing a sweet thing to feed them, even if they are "the most demanding of all the birds, often wearing their mothers down to death
by the time they are ready to leave the nest. They are also one of the LOUDEST warning birds of nature, their specific job." Yet, I can attest to their
intelligence, loyalty, attachment, and marvelous personality/gentleness. Hopefully this will help anyone else who might be tempted to care for one of their babies so that they will be better prepared than I? God bless all bird watchers/lovers! : )
what a lovely picture.....they are beautiful creatures thanx for sharing....when we first moved here we had a van and a cardinal would sit on the mirror and peck at itself...so we were wondering if it had lost its mate and find another one in our mirror....I luvved sitting quietly and watching him peck away at himself have a great day :0)
A warm big Thank you to you all for such kind
comments.
I love watching them and they sure do brighten up my day.
~Wendola~
== By Diana in Highland, MI too! (Guest Post) (10/28/2006)==
Interesting that your in highland too... Wonder if we know one another (smile)
~Wendola~
Wow what a great idea! Love seeing the blue jays.Very nice shot. Thanks for sharing it. HUGS,Judy
The blue jay's had no idea I was putting them on the web for everyone to enjoy...
(wink) Guess I should have had them smile bigger.
~Wendola~
I feed all kinds of birds; for the jays and larger birds, I put up the plastic trays from under larger planters; put them up next to the top of the fence; then fill with sunflowers seeds, nuts and peanuts (unroasted and in the shell);
Feeding birds and watering them never fail to reward you with hours of fun and delight!
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