Peanuts for the Jays

@Yoteklr yes those are Stellar's jays. They are pretty smart birds. It's theoretically possible that these guys in the video nested here and migrated down to Alderman's place. Thanks for posting up your video, looking forward to seeing them again in a few months!
 
@Yoteklr yes those are Stellar's jays. They are pretty smart birds. It's theoretically possible that these guys in the video nested here and migrated down to Alderman's place. Thanks for posting up your video, looking forward to seeing them again in a few months!
I was always told that Jay's are related to Crows. They are smart but I think crows are borderline geniuses of the bird world.
 
@Alderman I don't recognize the bird at around 2:50, what would it be?


We always called them a scrub blue jay, I googled it and this is what it came up with.
 
We always called them a scrub blue jay, I googled it and this is what it came up with.
Thanks you, interesting looking bird. We don't have them here so didn't know what it was.
 
I’ve got one that is getting quite tame. He always lands on the lower branch, pecks on the branch he’s sitting on for a bit (nervous energy?) then swoops down to get the first peanut as soon as I pour them out.
They all come flocking in when I whistle for them.
 
I have feeders on my deck about 10-12' from the door and watch these guys go crazy over a hand full of peanuts that the Wife likes to put out.
I also have a limb I drilled holes in to stuff with a seed and peanut butter mixture which attracts eastern Bluebirds and woodpeckers along with every other bird in the neighborhood.
The eastern Jays are just as picky as their western cousins and will sort through the nuts to get the heaviest.
I also have a rare Yellow Belly Sap Sucker that has been coming in to the suit block and the pole. I think I have seen just about every variety of bird that inhabits the area plus those migrating through the area.
Thanks for post the video it was great see them after the nuts and one of them seemed to look straight at the camera fully aware it was there before it decided to take a nut. Yeah they are some smart birds.
 
Nice video.

Here on Long Island, we seem to have more Cardinals than Jays. Both of them will quickly take peanuts. The Cardinals often get caught in my squirrel trap which is baited with peanuts and peanut butter.

Locally, we also have a large population of Monk Parrots. Supposedly, a large number of them escaped from transport at JFK Airport. Somehow they survive the cold winters and their population continues to grow. They are all over the suet that I hang for the birds but have learned to get the sunflower seeds too. Sometimes I'll have 20-30 of them in the yard at one time.

This image was taken with a cell phone from my back door. Yeah - it's terrible. LOL
Monk Parrots.jpg
 
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Nice video.

Here on Long Island, we seem to have more Cardinals than Jays. Both of them will quickly take peanuts. The Cardinals often get caught in my squirrel trap which is baited with peanuts and peanut butter.

Locally, we also have a large population of Monk Parrots. Supposedly, a large number of them escaped from transport at JFK Airport. Somehow they survive the cold winters and their population continues to grow. They are all over the suet that I hang for the birds but have learned to get the sunflower seeds too. Sometimes I'll have 20-30 of them in the yard at one time.

This image was taken with a cell phone from my back door. Yeah - it's terrible. LOL
View attachment 21815
Wow, I just read some on those parakeets, they're on the list in 7 states for agricultural pest. Outlawed ownership in some countries.

I was wondering if they're outing native songbirds. Might be time to get a nice pellet rifle.
 
What kind of Jay's are those, Stellers Jay maybe?. I have always lived east of the Mississippi. We have blue Jay's but they are white blue and some black.
View attachment 21809
That’s the only Jay we have here. The Bluejay is our school mascot. My wife buys a big bag of peanuts from the farm store to feed them.
 
Wow, I just read some on those parakeets, they're on the list in 7 states for agricultural pest. Outlawed ownership in some countries.

I was wondering if they're outing native songbirds. Might be time to get a nice pellet rifle.
Yup- Pump up the Crossman...here kitty, kitty.....CL
 

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Wow, I just read some on those parakeets, they're on the list in 7 states for agricultural pest. Outlawed ownership in some countries.

I was wondering if they're outing native songbirds. Might be time to get a nice pellet rifle.
I don't know if there are enough of them around to affect the native songbirds. They are, however, rather aggressive around the feeders. They will even fight with each other at the feeder.

They have a short, curved beak which should make it hard for them to get the sunflower seeds out of the feeder pictured above. But, they are very persistent and manage to get the seeds out eventually. When they come to the feeder, they usually come in numbers. The feeder can support about a dozen at a time. The rest wait high in the trees for their turn. They will consume an entire block of suet in one day.

The Monk Parrots build large nests around the transformers on our utility poles to keep warm in the winter. Nests tend to get larger every year until the utility company tears them down.

As far as dropping a few with a pellet rifle - I live in a populated suburban neighborhood with neighbors all around. It wouldn't take long before the Police were knocking on my door. :D
 
I wonder if they are designated an invasive species in your area? You might be within the law, never hurts to inquire if you are within the law.
If so you'd be doing the native birds a favor, possibly helping to preserve the natural ecosystem and possibly helping your regional agricultural economy.
 
I wonder if they are designated an invasive species in your area? You might be within the law, never hurts to inquire if you are within the law.
If so you'd be doing the native birds a favor, possibly helping to preserve the natural ecosystem and possibly helping your regional agricultural economy.

We have discharge laws here. Notwithstanding NYS regs, there are town and county laws to contend with. Technically, you can't shoot a BB gun in your yard around here. Living in a dense suburb has its limitations. LOL
 
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