Two blue jays have just earned my lasting respect for their kind. John James Audubon owes them an apology for the damage he did to their reputation with his illustration of bluejays impaling another bird's eggs on their beaks.
The back yard has been the scene of bird drama for the past three weeks, ever since the raccoon successfully breached the ten inch baffles I set on the feeders last summer. I started making offerings of stale bread and leftover pizza, even a two day old sandwich. These have been gratefully accepted by a big swaggering raccoon who comes after ten pm every night. But she is not the main villain of this story.
Meanwhile, I have been adjusting the feeders and refilling assiduously, trying to let the songbirds have the lion's share of what I put out.
Someone has been taking suet during the daytime. Big chunks of suet, too big for anything but a raccoon to carry. Turns out it is crows.
Just now I saw a crow carry away a quarter cake of suet, and a big fight ensued. Two bluejays drove the crows away from taking the last remaining quarter cake. Successfully.
I am now a huge fan of bluejays. I will no longer feel annoyed by their raucous calls. I still admire crows. They are beautiful, smart, and have a sense of humor. But anything that takes more than its share will have me and the bluejays to reckon with.
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