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February 16, 1989 - Those Loud, Gluttonous Birds in BlueBB The Suffolk Times • February 16, 1989 Those Loud, Gluttonous Birds in Blue Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh THE BOISTEROUS BLUE JAY — Although a glutton at our bird feeders and a terror to other birds' nests and young, the colorful jay is a bright and oftentimes vocal reminder to us that we should not let winter dull our activities nor our spirit. To Bobby Heaney CA C004r You have now reached `Uncle' status! °Happy 40th from your `young' cousins OLU lud Closed from Feb. 19th - Feb. 27th 190 Kerwin Blvd., next to Penney Lumber in Greenport 477 -2468 By Paul Stoutenburah It's during these slow and sometimes dreary days of winter when the outside world is less inviting that I catch up on much of my reading. It's then that the piles of old magazines people have passed on to me become my enchanted world. A 1986 Natural History article about blue jays was of particular interest to me, for it confirmed my idea of how blue jays do an important service by transporting seeds and nuts to help propagate new forests and open lands. Most of us are familiar with the seed head of the dandelion and how we all at one time or another have blown these bits of fluff bearing their seeds to the wind. This and a hundred other natural devices help spread our green world to other parts of the land. Much less is known about the part the blue jay plays in the eventual advancement of trees by the leap -frog movement of seeds to other places. Each fall the jays and other birds cache these seeds and nuts under leaves and grasses for use during the winter and spring when other food be- comes more difficult to find. Not all are gathered, as some birds are lost and their caches go unclaimed, so seedlings de- velop and move the forest onward. Anyone who has had a bird feeder knows all too well how this blue rascal operates. He is not at all as discriminat- ing and petite as the chickadee who seems to be satisfied with one sunflower seed at a time. When Mr. Blue Jay steps on the feeder he becomes a glutton de- vouring six, 10 or more seeds at once. His expanding throat and esophagus are a virtual market basket as he gulps one seed after another into what appears to be an endless pit. Even as I write I see him flying in boldly, scaring everything in sight, only to stand tall and then commence his orgy of feeding. Half Good, Half Bad There are many bad traits to this noisy bully, but there are some very good things to say about him also. The bad is that he is a baby snatcher and a destroyer of homes. In the spring I see the jays working my hedgerow along the pasture edge. The smaller birds scream and dart, hoping to drive the blue raiders away, but they are overwhelmed by the numbers and boldness and their nests are stripped of precious eggs and in some cases their young are devoured. I can remember years ago when we had martins nesting in our now - deserted Focus on Nature colony box; they were invaded by a blue jay. He first flew to the top where the diving martins tried to drive him away, but to no avail. He appeared to listen and then dropped directly to an appropriate hole where he reached in and pulled out a new -born bird. He then flew away and proceeded to enjoy his meal in the quiet of the nearby woods. Once dispatched he flew to the martin house to enjoy another meal, but it was then that I stepped into the picture and in my own unique style "moved him on ". Jays, like the crows and magpies that fall into the same family, are noted for their abrasive and oftentimes collective calls. They love to torment owls and hawks and, seeing they usually travel in groups, give these singled -out foes a truly harassing time. Screaming and diving at the owl, who tries to ignore their attack but is often driven into flight, the whole flock of blue jays can then be seen in an aerial dog fight with the owl. I've often answered their noisy harassment to find a good bird such as a great horned owl or red - tailed hawk be- ing pursued. Big -Game Hunters The annoyance this group of birds gives others is often taken out in the same manner on the innocent house cat or dog who happens to be too close to a nest or nestling. Many's the cat that has run for shelter after being bombarded by an angry pair of jays. They also annoy deer hunters who want to go unobserved and unheard in pursuit of their game. Rather they are often followed and announced to the woods by the blue jays' calls letting all know that danger is afoot. Despite all the negative aspects of the blue jay I cannot help but think he is not such a bad guy after all. On dreary days of winter his loud and boisterous call is a pleasant reminder that he is about and busy foraging. This, along with his bright blue form streaking across the backyard, adds much to a dull day. It's like so many things in the nat- ural world; each has to do what makes his world function correctly. To some he is a real bad guy, while to others he is pure joy for all his loudness and strong -armed ways. Bored? How about a party for no reason at all? Join us Sunday, Feb.19th, 5 -9 p.m. sirEPPI N OUT Q�ses 11Mt'� BR"O"IMENIN � ink ' Seals Free � 298 -9796 Rafllest • at the train tLt� station In Ma"It uk