Gotta love Blue jays...

[Rebel SS]

My favorite bird.......

[mike89]

good video!!! 

[glenn57]

MEH.............there alright as long as they stay away from my feeders. they are fun birds to watch but are dang aggressive and chase other birds at the feeder away. not to mention they are really messy eaters.

[Steve-o]

I saw a blue jay carrying something in its beak fly by one day and perch on my fence.  It dropped half its load as it flew off.  I went over to see what it was and it was a newly hatch bird of some kind - still alive.

I was kind of pissed at the time, but I realized it was a circle of life type of thing.

[Rebel SS]

I watched a big crow in my backyard last year pick up a tiny new baby bunny, peck it to death while it screamed, then ripped it apart and ate it...

[Dotch]

Found an 8" redbelly snake in my basement last spring after it warmed up outside. Snake acted kinda sluggish in the cool basement but was definitely alive. Took it outside in the sun and put it on the wood pile. Less than an hour later I saw a blue jay on the woodpile hammering on something. It had most of the snake consumed by the time I saw it. 

[Rebel SS]

Just think if Mrs Cheviot had seen THAT down there.....a sure case of the screaming meemies!   

[Steve-o]

Found an 8" redbelly snake in my basement last spring after it warmed up outside. Snake acted kinda sluggish in the cool basement but was definitely alive. Took it outside in the sun and put it on the wood pile. Less than an hour later I saw a blue jay on the woodpile hammering on something. It had most of the snake consumed by the time I saw it. 

GOOD snake!

[Dotch]

She's just lucky she didn't see the 2' long garter snake whipping across the living room floor one rainy afternoon when I was half asleep watching the Twinkies. Even I did the old "WTF was that?" on that one. Regular Reptile Gardens around here.    

[mike89]

She's just lucky she didn't see the 2' long garter snake whipping across the living room floor one rainy afternoon when I was half asleep watching the Twinkies. Even I did the old "WTF was that?" on that one. Regular Reptile Gardens around here.    

you have heard the shotgun on that one!!!!

[LPS]

Yup fun video.

[Dotch]

Grew up around enough snakes so they really don't bother me. Luckily most of what I've seen are the minor league variety like the redbellies and garter snakes. In high school, wasn't above catching them and one of us would open the door of the girls locker room quick while the other would toss them down steps as the girls were coming up for phy ed!    Still not fond of them in the house however. The snakes that is! Well some girls, anyway...

Back on the blue jay topic, sort of bumbled into a bird feeding setup that allows the other birds to coexist well with the jays. The smaller birds (goldfinches, chickadees, house finches, etc.) have their thistle feeders and a couple sunflower feeders the jays either can't access or don't like such as the roller feeder. They pick up stray seeds underneath instead. Along with the red-bellied woodpeckers, the blue jays really like having access to corn, especially ear corn. They'll load up their pouch with half a dozen kernels, fly off, stash or eat it then come back for more. If they do have confrontations it's with the house sparrows and starlings which is fine by me. They're disease carrying illegal aliens anyway!    The jays do warn the rest of the birds about intruders such as sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks just like the video said.   

[Rebel SS]

I'll put rows of in-the-shell peanuts along the top deck rail. They love those. The only time I didn't like them was when I was skwirrel hunting, they'd sound the alarm throughout the woods the minute they saw ya....and every time you moved.

[HD]

Yup....I'm not a fan of the Blue Jay either....as a hunter, they are the nark of the woods... 

And (dare I say it) I agree with Glenn...they are piggy eaters, picking through every feeder till the find what they want.

  Reb

[Rebel SS]

That's OK, HD. I was tempted many times to shoot 'em when they blew my cover out huntin'. 
And, they must just take after Glenn as far as bein' picky eaters. 

[glenn57]

Yup....I'm not a fan of the Blue Jay either....as a hunter, they are the nark of the woods... 

And (dare I say it) I agree with Glenn...they are piggy eaters, picking through every feeder till the find what they want.

  Reb

I new you'd come around sooner or later!!

[Rebel SS]

Thank god there isn't a Glenn bird. O wait, there is...a blue-footed booby...

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[Dotch]

I'll put rows of in-the-shell peanuts along the top deck rail. They love those. The only time I didn't like them was when I was skwirrel hunting, they'd sound the alarm throughout the woods the minute they saw ya....and every time you moved.

Amen on the squirrel hunting. Speaking of squirrels, were they up on the railing helping themselves too? Have seen those big bags of peanuts at FF but have never tried them. Squirrels here are pear-shaped just like me after eating all that corn this winter...

[glenn57]

I'll put rows of in-the-shell peanuts along the top deck rail. They love those. The only time I didn't like them was when I was skwirrel hunting, they'd sound the alarm throughout the woods the minute they saw ya....and every time you moved.

Amen on the squirrel hunting. Speaking of squirrels, were they up on the railing helping themselves too? Have seen those big bags of peanuts at FF but have never tried them. Squirrels here are pear-shaped just like me after eating all that corn this winter...

are they chocolate covered??

[HD]

I'll put rows of in-the-shell peanuts along the top deck rail. They love those. The only time I didn't like them was when I was skwirrel hunting, they'd sound the alarm throughout the woods the minute they saw ya....and every time you moved.

Amen on the squirrel hunting. Speaking of squirrels, were they up on the railing helping themselves too? Have seen those big bags of peanuts at FF but have never tried them. Squirrels here are pear-shaped just like me after eating all that corn this winter...

are they chocolate covered??

The squirrels or the peanuts? (Cause with Dotch, you never know) 

[glenn57]

  yea, valid point!!!!!!!!!!

[gophergunner]

I get a kick out of watching the squirrels and the blue jays fighting over the bird feeder.  I still like watching the little chickadees though.  They have literally landed on the feeder while I was out there filling it.

[Rebel SS]

 

[HD]

Stink'in Blue Jays.... filled the bird feeders on Friday night with black sunflower seeds, and they scooped it all out onto the ground to feed the squirrels 

I've got 15 to 30 Jay's here at a time, noisy bastards, and the piggiest bird there are.... 

I'm thinking of cutting down to just suit and thistle to hope they go away. 

[Rebel SS]

Stink'in Blue Jays.... filled the bird feeders on Friday night with black sunflower seeds, and they scooped it all out onto the ground to feed the squirrels 

I've got 15 to 30 Jay's here at a time, noisy bastards, and the piggiest bird there are.... 

I'm thinking of cutting down to just suit and thistle to hope they go away. 

That's cuz they were looking for the peanuts in the shell ya didn't feed 'em! 
   

[glenn57]

Stink'in Blue Jays.... filled the bird feeders on Friday night with black sunflower seeds, and they scooped it all out onto the ground to feed the squirrels 

I've got 15 to 30 Jay's here at a time, noisy bastards, and the piggiest bird there are.... 

I'm thinking of cutting down to just suit and thistle to hope they go away. 

you gotta lot of squirrels???? i'd come out next hunting season to dispose of them!!!!!! wold game feed material!!!!!

[Rebel SS]

O good! You want more?! 

[glenn57]

O good! You want more?! 

shooting within city limits is against the law!!!!!!

[HD]

Stink'in Blue Jays.... filled the bird feeders on Friday night with black sunflower seeds, and they scooped it all out onto the ground to feed the squirrels 

I've got 15 to 30 Jay's here at a time, noisy bastards, and the piggiest bird there are.... 

I'm thinking of cutting down to just suit and thistle to hope they go away. 

you gotta lot of squirrels???? i'd come out next hunting season to dispose of them!!!!!! wold game feed material!!!!!

I got 20 to 30 squirrels under the bird feeders cause the flipp'in blue jays are such pigs....you wanna come up and whack um all? Yur more than welcome!

How do blue jay's taste?   

[Rebel SS]

O good! You want more?! 

shooting within city limits is against the law!!!!!!

Ya, so?