Mar 01 2012
The Blue Jay Report
When I asked last Sunday if you’d seen any blue jays lately I had no idea it would be such a popular question.
Many of you commented on the blog right away. Then the National Audubon Society shared my question on Facebook on Tuesday morning and over 117 people weighed in. Comments came from Prince Edward Island and New Mexico, from South Dakota and Florida.
Most folks outside Pittsburgh said they’ve seen blue jays regularly this winter while Pittsburghers generally said “No.”
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I made two totally unscientific maps of the blue jay observations using the comments that gave a location.
The first map shows U.S. and Canadian responses. The second shows the many Pittsburgh area responses. Red means “No blue jays or fewer than usual.” Green means “Yes, we have blue jays.” Black means, “We don’t have them, but they don’t occur here.” (The black dot at coastal North Carolina is a place where there are few due to habitat.)
Here are the U.S and Canadian responses.
And here are responses from the Pittsburgh area:
Can you find your response on the map?
Mine is still a red dot despite the fact that a blue jay appeared for a few seconds outside my window at work yesterday.
I think he was taunting me.
(photo by Marcy Cunkelman. Blank maps from Wikimedia Commons with data points added by Kate St. John)
I live in Munhall Pa and I have seen a few bluejays this winter but not as many as usual. I have quite a few feeders and the jays have been few and far between. I did see 2 yesterday and today.
I realized after reading your last post that I hadn’t seen any blue jays either this winter!! But when I went outside this morning, I heard one, and thought with relief, “There he is!” I’m from State College.
Interesting that almost all of the red dots occur in or around major cities.
I always had at least 4-6 outside my condo deck. I used toput shelled peanuts out under a tree & I loved to watch as the squirrels would come & shell nuts & the blue jays flying down & taking them one at a time. However, my neighbors in Jan. complained about my feeding anything outside & once I withdrew the food I saw nary a one since so they must be purely food oriented to obvious food sources because even I do not feed birds or squirrels they still stop by occasionally looking but not the blue jays. So it has been a very interesting discovery with all the conversations regarding them. I know they are loud & pesky but I liked their color & voice added to the mix.
Our daughter at Allegheny College in Meadville said a tree outside the window of a building in the center of campus was covered with tons blue jays last week. Quite a picture, she said, but, sadly, she was unable to take a pic.
I have had blue jays in North Huntingdon most of the winter at my feeder (4), but the last two weeks when you asked for sightings I have seen none of them. I do have a Sharp shin hawk that visits the feeder just about daily and it has taken many a blue jay over the past couple years as well as the doves. I do have blue jay feathers in the yard as I was cleaning up on Tuesday.
Great work! A good follow up question would be for Canadians, did their Jays leave, or did they stick around?
If northern Jays didn’t travel south, but Pittsburgh’s did, that could explain the gap. And maybe you’re seeing the summer resident Jays returning now? Maybe a banding program would be the ticket.
I have not seen a blue jay in my neighborhood since last October. I 2 adults and their 3 juveniles at my feeder most of the fall, but haven’t seen one since.
Hi Kate. Here in Dormont I haven’t heard or seen any Blue Jays all winter except when I put peanuts out. Within minutes of putting them put, the Jays appear. It’s like they are sitting close by watching.
Last Tuesday I saw one sitting in a tree (imitating a Red Tail) not far from Consol Energy Center.
The Great Backyard Bird Count this year makes note of a lesser number of Bluejays this year:
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/science-stories/2012Summary