Steller’s Jays are frequent visitors to our yard. They are large (about 12 inches) crested blue songbirds native to our region. These birds look like they are sporting mohawks, which, of course, makes me love them even more. I call them The Blue Friends.
I know from our time in Reno that they like peanuts in the shell, so I started buying peanuts. I would put them out and retreat to watch the show. One of the amazing things about Steller’s Jays is their ability to stuff many unshelled peanuts in their mouths before flying off to cache them or snack in private.
Pretty soon, I felt like I was being watched when I stepped out on to the balcony. I would hear their distinctive “Skreeka! Skreeka!”
“Hey, Lady,” they seem to say.
And I would often oblige with a bowl of peanuts.
Finally, I had to buy a gigantic bag of peanuts from the local feed store. Now, I put them out almost every morning. This morning, I started work early and forgot about the peanuts along with sunflower seeds in a bird feeder for my little bird friends. I could hear The Blue Friends outside my office and had the odd feeling that they had spotted me through the window.
“Hey, Lady! “
I jumped up to take the peanuts and bird feeder out—anything for The Blue Friends.
