A Bird I've Known the Longest - The Blue Jay
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- Опубліковано 3 чер 2024
- This video is an overview of the Blue Jay and will help you learn more about what they look like, some calls and sounds to listen for, what they like to eat and how you could attract them to your backyard, and more.
To me, Blue Jays are endlessly fascinating, complex fun, and very smart. No other bird has held my attention like these guys, 10 years and going strong. Although I know a few different species very well, such as the Red-breasted nuthatch and Black-capped chickadee, there is no comparison to how well I’ve come to recognize the Blue Jay. I’ve known and named so many individuals over the last 10 years. The ones I have to thank though are Blue and Sweet Girl, the ones who allowed me the greatest insight and welcomed me with open wings into their incredible world, permitting me access to many of their nests and fledglings. From them, I’ve gained many other jays as close friends further enriching my experience and understanding of these complex intelligent jays.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:36 What does a Blue Jay look like?
01:10 Where are Blue Jays found?
01:56 How to attract Blue Jays?
02:16 What do Blue Jays like to eat?
03:37 Do Blue Jays migrate?
04:15 Birds that look similar to Blue Jays
04:42 Their Blue color
05:15 What is the Blue Jay crest used for?
05:49 Blue Jay calls and sounds (explained)
06:59 Blue Jay Whisper Song
07:22 Blue Jay imitating a Hawk
07:38 Blue Jay Rattle Call
08:00 Are Blue Jays monogamous/ mate for life
08:08 Blue Jay courtship, mating and nesting behavior
09:25 Blue Jay babies and nesting
10:04 Blue Jays molting
10:30 Blue Jay food offerings
11:15 How long can a Blue Jay live? / the oldest Blue Jay
11:44 My closing thoughts on Blue Jays
Videos at 00:04:19 were provided by
Andrew Hasz
Instagram: / lakeskywatcher
Shirts mentioned in the video :
TWEET HEARTS
www.bonfire.com/tweethearts2
MATES FOR LIFE
www.bonfire.com/bluejays
Also, find LesleytheBirdNerd here:
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If you have a sick or injured bird in your possession I can not help this bird in any way it is strongly advised to contact a local vet or wildlife official before any decisions are made. It is very easy to do more harm than good when handling any wildlife.
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#LesleytheBirdNerd #BlueJay #FavoriteBird #birdwatching #birds #birding #birdphotography # - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
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I appreciate each and every one of your support and I hope you enjoyed the show!
Hi Lesley thanks for all the great videos & congratulations on 10 years!! If there are opportunities for photo prints I hope you would consider doing so as a store item.
Well there you go.. but different! 😉
We don't have blue Jays in France (unfortunately!) But they remind me a lot of magpies, I also feed them with peanuts which they obviously love 💕
Thank you Lesley for all your wonderful videos!
Can't wait to wear mine while "birding" on Sauvie Island, Oregon! I'm sure my birding friends will take notice!
Blue probably had one and only one instance of the celery string down the throat effect and doesn't care for that experience ever again.
I call them the Gangsters of my feeder. They show up, everybody leaves. Even the squirrels! 😛
C’s up lmao
I had a musician/sound engineer friend from Dartmouth, NS who took in injured animals, including a Blue Jay, which he noticed was adept at imitating almost anything. So one day he recorded the bird in his studio for close to three hours. He then sequenced out the different sounds it was making (which he played for me) and that Blue Jay imitated over 300 different sounds including: a screen door slamming; a Coca-cola jingle; a newscast; dogs barking; laughter; cat's meowing; city busses going by... It was astounding, and it's no wonder to me they use this skill as a kind of verbal camouflage to trick other birds... and not surprisingly made me feel more proud to have been named after a Blue Jay by my parents.
When a tree came down in our back yard we discovered a nest with three newly hatched jays. We took the nest to our screened back porch. Our daughters took turns feeding the little ones moistened "Meow Mix" as they grew and developed over the next few weeks. Some small trees and branches were placed on the porch to familiarize them with the outdoors. The County had a wildlife and nature preserve with a rescue facility. The facility included a small building that had a window open to the outdoors. It was a sad day when we took the fully fledged Jays to that facility. We kept in touch daily and learned that the Jays came and went through the open window until all three left and never returned. It was a great experience for the family. We can hope the Jays were able to make the transition to the outdoors. As a footnote, our neighborhood had so many cats we felt their only chance for survival was the nature preserve.
That is so wonderful. Thank you for helping those little jays. What an experience it must have been for you and your daughters. What a happy ending to know that they all left the facility when it was time. I think you made the right call by lending a hand to them :)
That's awesome!
My husband and I have to coexist with our passions. I love birds and have fed and watered them for years He loves cats! Well, I don't hate cats but he is like the crazy cat lady down the street! I have tried, over our almost 40 years, to keep his love of cats to a minimum of 4 but twice, that's gone by the wayside when a wild stray female has found him. He will feed and care for her and then there's kittens and more kittens.
We are in this predicament right now. The house next door to us is vacant and has been for many years. The woman who owns it is in a nursing home and her sons won't take care of it or sell it. The back door to the house won't stay shut and there's also a doggy door that has no cover. There's no door on the garage that has clothes in it that is perfect for kittens. There's also a storage building with the doors wide open that has all sorts of clothes and fabric and hiding places. It's just ridiculous! Our animal shelter won't do anything! Not anything!!! They say we can buy a trap and catch them and they will be out to get them in 24 hours. They wouldn't even do that during Covid. But, hubby keeps feeding them and loving them and some of them are tamed to him but have serious stranger danger! So, we can't give them away. It's so frustrating! He won't allow them to become barn cats because he knows the coyotes and such will kill them.
Anyway, I've quit feeding the birds during the summer and only feed them in the winter and early spring. I have a feeder by the bedroom window, in the backyard away from where he feeds the cats in the front yard, which is nice for me to watch them but it's still a bit dangerous for my feathered friends. The cats will go back there because of the birds. I've got them a safe space "created" around the feeder but cats seem to always find a way catch one from time to time. Ugh!
I don't know what to do!!!
🕊The Blue Jay's are so beautiful! I love them also. That's such a gorgeous color of blue they display. I must say,you are one lucky lady to know them all there where you are. That would be so fascinating to be able to do that. I enjoyed your film so much. I'm so glad you shared it with us. Thank you for being so kind and loving to these beautiful birds and the other birds as well. Best Wishes,🕊Deborah🕊
You guys are wonderful 💞
So sweet of yall to do that!🕊
Wonderful video! Bluejays are very special to me. I was very ill in the early 1980s with high blood pressure issues. At that time I lived right on the banks of the Raisin River in Michigan. I would sit quietly in a chair on my balcony (legs crossed) overlooking the river. One day a blue jay came and sat on my foot. He stayed a long time. The next day he did the same thing. He came to see me every day that summer, and eventually started bringing several friends with him. The flock would all sit on the balcony railing and wake me up every morning. I will always treasure my deep friendship with them, and that special time in my life. They were there when I needed them. I eventually got well, and I think my bluejay friends played a part in my healing. I love all birds. My daughter's name is Robin.
I used to think "Oh, its just a blue jay."
Now I can't get enough of them!! Thanks in part to YOU Lesley!! Thank you!
I kinda thought that way, too. Way back before I was interested in birds, I acknowledged that they were pretty birds, but I never knew that there was more to them than their striking blue plumage and loud “Jay” calls.
@@BirdsandGhibliFan and its funny but blue jays have been in my life since we moved out of the city when I was 4 years old. They were always around, always calling, jeering, protecting their nests, foraging in our yard. You can hear them in almost every movie filmed near any trees, they are everywhere and I am glad I took a closer look!
@@mamaboocee I’m glad I’m not the only one that notices Blue Jays (along with other species of birds) calling in movies, too! I know that to most people, it’s just white noise, but I love hearing the calls in films and observing them with my twin sister when we are watching together. I remember hearing a lot of Blue Jays in the movie, “Hillbilly Elegy”. Great minds think alike. 😃👊🤓😏
I agree.Lesley has helped me to luv the heck out of the gorgeous birds called the Blue Jay.
@@BirdsandGhibliFan lol, there's a movie I need to watch now! I never heard of that one!!
I think a few weeks back I asked Lesley if she could ever watch a movie and NOT hear a blue jay if they are there in the background- of course none of us can ignore it NOW! - in movies or IN any town near or far from home! My heart is just FULL of BLUE JAYS!!!
I found a dead one under my oakleaf hydrangea this summer it made me incredibly sad... but I also took it as a compliment that it picked my flower bed.I gave the Bluejay a very big older male a proper burial.
That was so kind of you. :)
I hate seeing anything beautiful dead. makes me very sad. I would have done the same! we found a dying barred owl in the backyard last year. we held it until it passed. The zoo up the road said it was old and probably died of old age.
Yes, very kind🕊
@@andreamarin4296 very sad about the Owl,but so happy you were there for the Owl.🕊
I found a deceased one this morning while waiting for my boss at the bus stop and I was so sad I thought about it all day because I know it's so symbolic after work I went back to the bus stop and it was still there so I made a makeshift coffin and put blue crystals and flowers inside of it and I played chirping sounds of real birds from UA-cam videos and gave it a proper burial I'm going to love and remember it forever I've learned so much about the blue jay and they are absolutely gorgeous birds and they have so much symbolic and I am forever grateful for finding this bird because I feel like I need to spread my wings and fly
Indian legend: when a child dies their soul goes into the blue jay. I lost my daughter in 1989 and heard that legend early at compassionate friends. I’ve followed them ever since. Very special bird. Thank you. I did learn so much.
From the Netherlands I say thank you for keeping up That Spirit❤💙
This is one of your best videos ever... It's such a joy to experience one of my favorite birds once again. Thank you! Your happiness was so contagious 🙂
😢
I love Blue Jays. For years now, I've feed them peanuts on my window sill. They are so friendly and brave. Once when I lived in the far north, I had a Gray Jay who would fly right into my living room to get peanuts. Too cool.
Aww I love Gray Jays, so awesome about you getting one to come into your living room. They are so full of character much like the Blue Jays :)
I've read that blue is one of the rarest colors to occur naturally. It's almost always done by scattering. Kinda cool! Love these little guys and gals.
Enjoyed the video very much. I have quite a few Blue Jays who show up first thing every morning for the peanuts that I line up on my deck railing. I call to them when I go outside and they fly to the deck from the woods when they hear my voice. My maternal grandmother fed peanuts to the Blue Jays so it’s in my DNA.
Aww I love that your Grandmother also fed the Blue Jays :) They really do know the sound of our voice and recognize us very well. Thank you for the very nice comment and for watching this video. I am so glad that you enjoyed it. Have a great day
I can't believe I'm just finding you! Great Channel!
Hey, thanks! Welcome aboard! :)
SAME I came from the American crow video
Same. Also love your channel Atlas
Right!! Omg.
Me too!
CONGRATULATIONS ON TEN YEARS of sharing your VAST KNOWLEDGE of Birds with SO MANY OF US!!💙💙💙
Sweet Girl giving Blue a seed was just so sweet♥️
Confirmed that Jays do the "Hawk screech" here in N.H. to scare other birds off my platform feeder on approach
I understand. As do in IL.
Eurasian jays do that too
I remember watching 'Winter Watch' several years ago where they had a camera set up on the carcass of a wild animal that had died. They caught a Eurasian Jay coming to the carcass to forage and it ended up doing the Hawk screech to keep other animals and birds away. Haha! Clever little birds
i never see blue Jays but I do hear them 😉
One or more of ours imitates the red tail hawks in our area in New Jersey. They let us know when they require more peanuts, sometimes in the early morning. We have a 300 year old great white oak so it was interesting when you mentioned the oak trees.
Bluejays are often treated as pests by people who feed birds. Thank you for educating us! Fabulous footage. Thank you!
One of the most interesting things to me about blue jays is how much more active they are in the fall compare to other seasons. I see and hear them everyday these days. In my neighborhood (South Canada), blue jay calls dominate bird songs in falls, robins in summers and cardinals in springs.
Interesting that you should say that. The blue jays around my house have been very active the last few weeks. I'm still very new to birding, so I'm not sure what they're doing, but they're very visible and active much of the day. They crack me up! So busy!!
Blue jays always were the harbinger of summer as a child. Their distinctive call was always a part of late spring and early summer. When ever I hear the jay's call, my thoughts always harken back to my youth.
Aww how wonderful. :) Thank you for the kind comment. Have a great day
I've been feeding jays 8 years and this summer I counted 12 blue jays visiting, most ever. Also, this summer I've been overloaded with grackles so I had to get crafty with the whole peanuts the jay's love and found out they love to hunt peanuts as I would find new places to hide them from the grackles. It was a fun summer and now I'm glad the grckles have moved on. Lol.
I do not like those pesky grackels
argh common grackles and starlings. I pull feeders when I see starlings, so they don't get established. But I only see common grackles briefly around migration time, not year round altho I am in the southeast.
@Laurie Garrison hide peanuts? Like how? Where? I’m in the city and I have no idea. I love my blue jays, they come on my porch squawking if I’m late getting out with their peanuts.
@@gailtalley8037 For years I had certain areas I would place whole peanuts for the Jays because my other birds got shelled peanuts although the jays still get their fair share of shelled too LOL. Anyway, as mid-summer came I had way more than normal numbers of grackles, like hundreds and they quickly found the regular areas where I placed the peanuts So, I decided one day to start placing them in other areas around the yard, still in plain sight to see if the jays would find them and I was surprised how quickly they picked up on the plan, while grackles would have no clue. So, for instance, if I had a flower pot with only dirt, I would place some there, I placed some on my patio chairs and other areas around the yard, I had never put them before. I hope this explains it better I live in the city too but birds are smart and I believe they like a challenge sometimes..
@@thebluelunarmonkey I am in the southeast too and I really don't mind grackles, as long as they are in small numbers, I actually like them because they eat Japanese battles off of my roses and keep the bugs off my vegetable garden, but for some odd reason this summer I had hundreds of them and they stayed for two months. I have never seen so many in over 46 years living here. I kept telling my husband it had to be because of the bad weather out west but I don't know why they were so many here. The funny thing is where I live in Tennessee, everyone seemed to have more than their fair share of them this summer, I work at TSC, and people coming in buying bird see would complain too about how many grackles they had so it had to be something holding them here.
I live in California and I have a Blue Jay couple that comes back to have their babies in my lemon tree. I have both a bird feeder and a bird bath. I have grown to love these birds and their babies. Thank you for this video.
No offense but no you don’t. Blue Jays aren’t native to California nor are they found there.
@@kahanuermeyas-tulu4056 relax they are Scrub Jay's, lighten up, we can call them our Blue Jays
Gorgeous footage of these Blue Jays! Interesting to learn that mated pairs stay together forever!
Blue jays were always my least favorite bird at the feeder. They seemed to bully the other birds and scared off some of my favorites when they came to the feeder. However, through Lesley's videos I have come to love the Blue jays and understand their personalities. When I go out to fill the feeder, the Blue jays seem to have the most to say. I even got a tray feeder that I fill with peanuts and sunflower seeds, which the Jays seem to really like.
That's awesome and thanks for sharing it with me.
That's great keep feeding them!🕊
Natives believe that they were very mischievous birds as well most natives love them though and seen them is very symbolic
I didn't know that they made so many different sounds, Lesley. Thanks for another informative video.
This was only the tip of the iceberg, if I included them all this would of been a really long video :)
Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
You can probably tell from previous comments that blue jays are my favourite bird. So glad to see your friends make an appearance 😉
I think it is so awesome how the bluebirds and other birds have learn to trust you so they feed from your hand! I wish I could get them to do that here. All the birds come to the feeders. even if I'm seating on the porch, the feeders are on the porch, yet the blue jays prefer I'm not there. I really love your program.
If you want to hand tame them, remove the food when you’re not there. Otherwise they learn to wait for you to leave. Steps to taming: get them to associate your presence with the treat, from a distance; gradually shorten the distance (moving to a table works well for this) sequence is far edge of the table, then nearer, then near a hand, off the hand, and there you are. Look at my channel for scrub jay vids.
Pure joy watching this. Thank you Lesley!
I love the vocabulary of the blue jays and They sure talk a lot. Today they started going crazy with warning calls, then other birds chimed in. The only thing I saw was the ravens flying overhead, going toward area that they built nest, so they are not unusual to see. I do sometimes hear them in the trees behind my house imitating the eagles and hawks. It took me awhile to realize they were imitating the eagles, as I would look for the eagles circling and not see them. When I hear them that clearly they are hard to miss, so I paid attention to those mischievous blue jays. Gotta love them, they are not the terror everyone says they are, they are quite smart and I am happy to have my wasp control friends around.
At the farm in PA where I live, there are a group of jays that live in the woods near my house. I hear them imitating hawks (red-tail and sharp shinned) as well as loudly announcing whenever an intruder of any kind approaches. I've learned some of their calls, for instance, when a cat is in the area, they pretty clearly scream "CAAAT!! CAAAT!!" But if I'm just walking by with my senior dog, it's totally different--an announcement, but a different word, and a lot less emphasis. They also have a specific call when mobbing the Great Horned owl pair or one of the hawks when it's hunting in the woods. Blue Jays (as well as other creatures) are a lot more intelligent than humans give them credit for. Thank you Leslie for your many enlightening and wonderful videos!🥰🥰
i once heard one go "wooah" it was named mordecai
Whenever i go outside i mimic their sounds and they sound back, i love it, i think we have a bond😊😅❤
I am an attorney who b/c of the pandemic and being home soooo much over the last two years is now a bird (and squirrel - I love my lil squirrels - all named!)) fanatic. My terrace is now nothing but a feeding station with little houses/shelters all over. I've gone full nerd into it - and I love it. I've never been happier - I can and do watch them for hours. And my cats are in their glory getting to watch all the activity through the glass (talk about Cat TV). The Blue Jay was my favorite right from the beginning and I started naming them, too (Busy & Bossy were the first two I named - lol). I swear they know me - it's just incredible. I will see if they will take peanuts from my hand in the Spring. Now that I found your channel, I will be watching every video! Thanks for all this content I get to devour!
It's so amazing how they know you so well, what a friendship!
Congratulations on your milestone for your channel, been watching two years 🐦
You sure have a special relationship with the Blue Jays. I love how they stay together and raise their nestlings together!
We love our Jays here in Vermont! The gurgle-bop is my favorite! Nice to see the magical lady behind the camera, too! ❤🐦❤
Keep doing what you are doing. I am always amazed how birds can sense whom to trust, and apparently you have the best ratings on bird-yelp, for a good reason.
Thank you very much!
At the begining of this summer, there was a Blue Jay that kept vsiting my backyard. He was strikingly beautiful. I began feeding him loose unshelled peanuts, which now, i assume he was taking back to his nest and mate. He got comfortable with my wife and I, but i have yet to be able to feed him from hand. Great information from your channel, thanks.
Thanks, best of luck to you
I didn't know that the girls feed the guys in late summer and have never heard the low song or that chirping that females do in a group. Thanks, Lesley.
Pretty interesting birds that's for sure. I'm glad you liked learning those new facts. Thank you for watching. Have a great day
Our bluejay pair (Jay-Lo and Jay-La) have trained us to toss out a peanut on our porch whenever one of them calls to us from the lower branches of our pin oak tree. 🥜 What fun!
your videos create a new standard for observation and reporting of birds and bird behavior. We all look forward to each new video.
Aww thanks so much :)
ENJOYED THE BLUE JAY VIDEO. I LOVE ALL BIRDS .
Your videos are almost like a sneak peek into Paradise. We don't have blue jays in my region but we do have bluebirds. There's one who frequents my sister's backyard. He's quite a demanding character.
Thank you kindly, Darren. I don't have Bluebirds here, but I know if I did I'd be enamored with them
Darren, Bluebirds are as rare as Baltimore Orioles in my area. In my 74 years I've seen few of either & none in the last several decades. The Ivory-billed woodpecker has disappeared too
@@faith5563 cute cat picture🥰
Honestly, I can't help but smile while watching these.
I was glad you told us about the throat pouch. This afternoon I thought I saw a blue jay swallowing unhulled sunflower seeds and I wondered about digestion. Now I am guessing the bird was just collecting them to stash in a hidden spot.
We don't have blue jays here in Santa Fe, NM. However, we have Scrub Jays in the high desert and Steller's Jays in the mountain forests. Very cool video...Thanks for sharing. Oh, and gray jays in the high subalpine areas too!
Gray jays are awesome. I have them too.
I heard bluejay yesterday ☝️
We have lots in CT, I love seeing them around, actually I love all the birds 🤗
@@LesleytheBirdNerd do you have grayjays🤔
Here in France we have Oak jays. Seems like each people have their own kind of jays. Always amazing. Would love to see blue jays though
Thank you Lesley. I have followed you for several years and I’m pretty sure this is the first video I’ve seen your face. Very pretty.
I didn’t know they lived so long -very interesting.
This too is my favorite bird. Many fond memories of leaving peanuts on fence tops for them
I think we all no that these awesome birds are you favorite Lesley, I feel the same way, they are so adorable and quite the character's💞
Thank you for learning and then educating us all. I learn something every time I watch your videos. I have many blue jays in my backyard. I’m also a friend to the eastern grey squirrels especially since helping a baby squirrel last summer. They too love peanuts and the bluejays hear me feeding the squirrels and come begging for some as well. The bluejays are very wary of me and won’t come closer than 10 feet or so to get a peanut . I have a goal to befriend them . Patience and time. Congratulations to you on 10 years !
Thank you
Yes. Patience and time for sure
Well I have plenty of blue jay in my small backyard, I am fastened when they sit in top of the tree and watching squirrels , when squirrels bury there nuts ,blue jay sitting quietly and watch , and when squirrels leave he dives and dig the nuts out and take off. Sometimes squirrels notice and they have fight. They are lovely .
I had one baby blue jay stop by on my deck. It allowed me to pet its head. I was thrilled! Thank you for your video!
The only channel I actually have reminders turned on for.
Wow! Thanks so much :)
Leslie. You warm my heart. Thank you so much for your work. Your videos. Your education. And joyful jays :)
:) You're very welcome, and thank you for the kind comment. Have a wonderful day
Being from Australia I've never seen a Bluejay in the flesh, on tv, yes. The moulting was the most unexpected thing for me to see.
Last spring, while working from home, was the first that I became enamored with birds, especially Corvids. One of the blue jays, in my neighborhood, that began coming to my balcony railing for peanuts, has deformed legs and toes. His legs are shorter than the other jays' and he only has one toe in the front on one foot and two on the other. But this doesn't stop him from doing ANYthing and his attitude is huge. He makes sure to glare in the balcony door at me every time he lands, just on general principle, lol. I ADORE that bird!!!
I've never been so lucky to have made friends with them as you. But I do love the blue Jays always listening for them and I feed them when they come around.❤️
I never knew that they had so many calls. I live in the Eastern US (Pennsylvania) and there was a mystery disease affecting blue jays and some other birds this past summer. We were told to remove our feeders and baths for a couple months. I don't know if they ever figured out this mystery illness but I do see plenty of blue Jay's and hear them calling for my neighbor who feeds them peanuts. Congrats on 10 years!
My precious son passed away many years ago. The day after the funeral I asked God to send me a sign that he was happy. Just then a yellow finch and A cardinal flew to the bird feeder. A year later On his anniversary as I looked out the window a yellow finch
and a cardinal appeared. Those beautiful birdss give me so much peace. I now have Blue Jays come every morning as I put out their peanuts. I no longer have a bird feeder because it was attracting mice and that broke my heart.
It was so strange because a beautiful blue jay would always make his appearance on my husbands birthday. Now that he is gone they come to me. I love them so much.
Thank you for this wonderful channel.
Oh my gosh, what a beautiful thing. The birds have such a way of bringing peace and beauty to our lives, I"m glad you have them in your life, and thank you for your very nice comment on my channel. Makes me so happy to know that other people enjoy the content I produce. Take care
I used to think blue jays were jerks. Thanks to you I realize they are just territorial which is understandable. And thanks to you I see what beautiful creatures they are in so many ways. Thank you for sharing your love for birds with thirst of us.
Lesley...you're an awesome addition to the video!!👍😁💯
Thank you, Raymond!
@@LesleytheBirdNerd 👍😁🐦
Great job. Seeing you put your God given skills to work. Makes me look for more.
Thanks.
I was sitting under our oak tree several summers ago, reading, when I heard a bird that sounded like R2-D2 or sound effects from a video game. It was incredible. I have loved BlueJays all my life.
I love that you can feed them from your hand. In my yard the blue Jay's scatter when they see me.
I love Jay calls! So theatrical and so comforting to me, esp when I'm hiking. They're just beautiful. Lesley the Bird nerd and The Raccoon Whisperer are my absolute favorite utubers!♥️. Thanks, Leslie🥰
Giving each other food! Touching.
Congratulations on your 10-yr anniversary on UA-cam, Lesley! So glad you kept at it and became more 'serious' about YT in 2017 - I adore your videos and they've played a central role in my own birding experience. I started birding in 2017 and knew nothing about birds... your videos were (and still are) my number #1 go-to source for info about birds in eastern Canada. Can't thank you enough for sharing your love of birds - all the sweet, little songbirds and importantly for showing and educating us all on the beauty, intelligence and wonder of blue jays, crows and so many other misunderstood or undervalued birds.
I think your choice for this video is absolutely perfect. Isn't it incredible what a ripple effect these winsome blue jays have had? They've deeply touched your life and, in turn, you've touched ours - your unique and precious relationship with these beautiful birds has enriched the lives of thousands and thousands of people, myself most definitely included.
I always say that awe and wonder is magnified by deeper understanding - and that's so much of what you've done for us - by helping us more intimately know this 'common' bird and sharing glimpses into their complex, fascinating lives, you've deepened our admiration, respect and appreciation for blue jays, thus making our own encounters with this 'ordinary' bird 'extraordinary'.
Thank you, yet again, for daring to be YOU and sharing what's touched your soul with us.
You are such a wonderful person. My gosh all that you said in this lovely comment, thank you so much. I am thrilled that I was there in the beginning for your introduction into birding. What great timing. I am deeply touched that the way I share about the birds impacted you in the way it has, other people too. It's a beautiful thing. I'm so grateful to have this opportunity and courage to be me :)
Thank you for all your kindness and beautiful words.
When my grandpa passed away in 2017 he had a ceramic blue jay at his bed side. We watched Blue Jays games all the time. For the last 5 years everytime I see or hear a blue jay I think of my grandpa. I recently moved to New Brunswick and there are so many blue Jays in my backyard and even if I'm having a really hard day I can see them and they make me happy.
Thank you for your insights! Beautiful! I feed birds in autumn and winter and enjoy the company of blue jays at the feeders. Lately, they have been very, very busy pecking on as many apples as possible. Love the contrast between the red apples and their blue feathers ;-)
They are such a fun Corvid to have around, I love the whisper call they do when they like an area.
Lady you’re incredible my name is Alejandro Suarez I’m from Mexico City I live in Collinsville Va USA. I just can’t believe them birds landed on your hands!!!! Incredible just incredibly awesome!! God bless you.
I'm having fun with a family of jays here. I made a feeder hoping to attract crows but brought the blue jays instead. One of them used to always give a hawk call before his final descent on the feeder containing the raw unshelled peanuts. Although I can tell that the peanuts are a small part of their diet, they definitely let me know when the feeder is empty.
It's so cute to see the juveniles begging for food from the adults. I think, "You're bigger than most adults of other species and yet you still need to be fed!"
Thank you for your birding inspiration, Lesley!
This is going to be a really sweet vid
I have been enjoying learning more about Blue Jays from your videos, and observing the ones in my backyard and surrounding woods.
Thanks for this, Lesley. I share your fondness of these wonderful creatures. People with bird-feeders in the backyard will probably have observed that blue jays can be quite aggressive with other birds. I wish our Toronto baseball team was as assertive.
I can't prove it was them but I think the Jays in my yard bring me gifts - Mostly nesting material. Once a month or so I find a neat clump on my front step. I've never felt so lucky as I did having won over my neighborhood corvids.
It could’ve been the Jays. Other Corvids, like Crows, have been known to bring gifts, especially to people that they recognize and have been kind to them. That’s so sweet that they brought you nesting material. It must be a wonderful thing to feel like you are part of their flock, in a way.
lol when I saw the YT premire thumbnail notice earlier I misread it as "Blue, the one I've known longest" and thought it was going to be *just* about him. 😅 Great video as always! Happy 10 years! 🥳
Haha! I can see how you'd think that, lol. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for watching and for the kind comment. Have a great day
@@LesleytheBirdNerd --Honestly, I think your fans would love a video devoted exclusively to Blue. I bet you have enough footage! We 💙Mr. Blue.
I grew up in Pennsylvania...Blue Jays have always been my favorite bird...they are true characters and their colors against the winter snow is stunning. Great video! 🙂
That is very true about their colors being incredible against the snow. Thank you for watching and for the nice comment. Have a great day
What I liked about the story was that Bluejays have differences in their calls. I grew up in Oklahoma and they are everywhere. I'd hear them call during the late evening while I was outside, enjoying the sunset or looking at the snow. Bluejays are great companions on quiet days. Bluejays would always be my comforting Friends. They knew I needed their presence and called loudly from a very long distance away, to let me know they were watching. I always hold those memories of Bluejays calls close to my heart. Id so want to fly away with them.. Brings back memories.
Many times I have been foxed by bluejay imitations of other birds. Redtails were a specialty of my neighborhood jays.
Same here, they fool me all the time
The blue jay is the greatest animal on God's green Earth.
All birds are good birds but blue jay is best bird.
I love blue jays so much! I have a mated pair that live in my area, and I leave out peanuts for them all the time. They've even come to know me enough that they'll come to the tree outside my window and scream because they know I'll bring out peanuts! Talk about delivery.
It's amazing their vocal mimicry. I've heard them mimic a crow, the prairie falcon that lives in the same area and SCREAMS, and a few other calls I can't remember.
They are amazing creatures!!
ha! thats awesome.
We get the same thing here, always a Jay letting us know "bring the peanuts!"
Congratulations on 10 years bringing joy not only to you, but to all of us!! Thank you.😊 Love this and all your videos! And, I was happy to hear they can be so long-lived!💖
Thank you so much!!
I have a Blue Jay who hangs out in my backyard here near the Lake Michigan shoreline where I live, usually in early spring, till the Crows come around then seems to take off. I was just thinking on how I have not seen the Blue Jay for a few weeks before I observed this video; the Crows, must have chased it out for but it will come be back. When in the past I put bird seed out, usually in early spring if I do, the Blue Jay and the squirrels eat the seed real fast. Both the Blue Jay and the Crows are very interesting, and once they know an individual and have trust in that person, they become loyal friends who will not engage in betrayal of what becomes a sacred friendship.
Blue Jays are my favorite too.
I love these birds as well!💕
They are awesome
I love them they are absolutely beautiful. I have been taking pictures in my backyard since last summer and my favorite are two photograph Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays. People say that Blue Jays can be very aggressive. I do tend to agree they fight with each other frequently and what I'm amazed about is they seem to be extremely timid and shy. They jump around on the ground most frequently and don't really land off and on the feeders they tend to scratch and jump around on the ground. I was shocked to see one take something from your hand perhaps they will get more comfortable with me during the course of the summer and not be so afraid.
I had the cutest interaction the other day. I had been placing peanuts in my windowsill so i could watch the jays come to my window. Then i went and got a small bright purple container to put the nuts in. If it is empty they sure let me know. But the other day i looked over and a jay was sitting there just looking at me, he then tapped on my window. So i said you wants peanuts? Your can is empty? and he just started bobbing up and down like nodding yes. I laughed so hard.
Oh my god that is the sweetest. Thanks for sharing your cute story of that adorable jay :)
I love it !!...corvids are the best!!👍😁
Happy Anniversary Lesley!!!🥳🙏🤗 You are such a blessing to us all!! The blue Jays are one of my most favorite birds too- I've always wondered how they get that beautiful coloration! That part was one of my favorites and the call mimicking a hawk🙂 so smart! And the oldest blue jay known at 26! And and and lol🙂 so many favorites! Thanks so much and Happy Anniversary! Love and hugs🙏🤗🥳
Thank you so much, I am so glad that you enjoyed learning more about the Blue Jay in this video and thank you for the kind comment
I raised a Scrab Jay that I named Mia. Mia lived in our back yards for years and always nested there. She the bravest, sweetest bird ever. She jumps on my and my husband's bodies, she sings softly for us and she enter the kitchen window to be fed.
🥰 aww so sweet
I love that their mating call is known as The Whisper Song. “Hey lil mama let me whisper in your ear.”
Very informative video...Thanks!!
Hi Lesley - loved the video as always! Left a couple of comments. Made me smile remembering the Blue Jays -❤ Stephanie
Wow look at that beautiful bird at 0:30 , and those Blue Jays aren't too bad either.
I live on Long Island ,and I have about 8-10 Jays that frequent my front deck every morning. I put the peanuts along the top railing and they swoop down from the tree just opposite my deck. Every morning I greet them; "Good morning pretty birds c'mon time too eat " I love them so much 🥰
Really informative video and I love their variety of calls. That squeaky gate makes me smile everytime. I'm starting to see some moving into my area of Ottawa and I think they're migrating from elsewhere. Great video and that's amazing about that older Blue Jay found to be at least 26 years old!
Thanks Neil
Squeaky gate sure is hilarious sometimes.
I was 3 or4 years old living in Albany in south Georgia when I first recall watching the local Blue Jays in fascination. We had a large pine forest directly behind our house. We had a lot of Blue Jays. Ever since then Blue Jays have been very special to me. That was over sixty years ago.
Wow. thanks for sharing
I wish I knew them earlier but better late than never
I am fascinated by Blue Jay couples staying together for years 🌹
I live in New York City and have been feeding a family of Blue Jay’s for many years - my most beloved bird visitors - they bring character to the block!!
Thanks for this and happy anniversary!
When you were talking about range, I found myself saddened by the thought that there are parts of the world without blue jays. Hard to imagine!
Thanks so much :)
Yea hey, hard to imagine living in a place that doesn't have these spunky birds.
Have a great day
@@LesleytheBirdNerd We do not have blue jays in the UK, sadly. These are rather beautiful birds. We do have magpies, which are common near me in Scotland, and a number of other corvids. They are all remarkably intelligent and "switched-on" birds.
I am sure he loves you too!
The world needs more nature loving people like this !! Absolutely Amazing !1