If you liked the video the best way to support the channel is by SHARING it with other fellow birders. For anyone interested in official LesleytheBirdNerd merchandise www.lesleythebirdnerd.com/ I appreciate each and every one of your support and I hope you enjoyed the show!
I saw one type of these birds in the south of the UK. It stops gave a song and flew away, looking at me. Felt like I was hallucinating as never seen one of these before and in the UK they are rare.
I raised a baby blue may last year. I'm pretty sure she was a female. I just fed her and really never held her much wanted to have her not be used to humane contact. When she could eat by herself and could fly a bit i would let her out and flap her wings the cage she was in was over 6 foot tall 4ft wide when she got away once she was out all night and I was so worried she came back the next morning very hungry so I got her back in the cage better waited until there were a whole bunch of blue jays where she was born and I let her out and she came back one time 4 her favorite food cashews then back again and I think she would come by every once in awhile a squawk I would put your blue jay sounds on for her so she knew what they sounded like and she likes it. I rescued her because a cat was going to eat her. I'm glad I rescued her cuz hopefully it's been a year now she has babies of her own. I'm from Springfield Illinois.
Thats great! Im in the same situatiion. Ive been raising an abandoned fledgling jay for couple weeks now....i feed it blueberries from my yard and caterpillars from my crops, as well as crushed nuts. The jay is starting to jump fly glide right now. Its so friendly and curious. I hope that it can integrate in the wild successfully...I didnt think I would ever care or get attached this much to a bird
LesleytheBirdNerd I know what you mean, people ask the same to me when I am chilling with birds, lol. Dont have these birds in Sweden what I know.Remind me little of magpies but in a more polute way:). Great video, thank you.
@@LesleytheBirdNerd In my old home area my family and I noticed particularly interesting behavior... My son noticed a Jay come to the birdbath, drop in a twig, peck it to get it fully soaked,allowing a moment.It then plucked the twig from the water and flew right up to its nest. This was in hot, dry weather. Each of us saw this behavior repeatedly. IT looked to me like it kept the stick horizonal as it flew. It perched on the nest , tilting the wet stick !.It looked to us like the young were drinkig the droplets from the tilted stick. WE ARE CONVINCED.What do you think ? Have you ever seen this behavior?. Thanks, Donna. 🐦
Ha ha, very interesting. Before I knew it was a Bluejay that made the squeeky gate call., I called it the Wash line bird. For when growing up we had an outdoor washline where we would hang out washed clothes to dry, with a pulley at the end of the line. When we would pull the washline through the pulley it made a sound like the Bluejays squeeky gate call. So I called it the Washline bird.
We had the round one that you could spin.. Squeek squeeek... As kids we used to hide costume jewelry in the back yard and then dig it up again pretending we found it for the first time. Right next to our wash line spinner. Miss those days. Full of sun and wonder.
My husband and I bought some peanuts for our squirrels this year and we noticed that the Blue Jays ate them and loved them more than our squirrels did! You are so blessed to be able to and feed birds! How awesome is that! And it's amazing that you can tell them apart and have given them names!
I kept my dogs food dish outside, and a jay would come and steal dog food every morning. He acted so bold and boisterous. I love Blue jays, and everything about them. They're my favorite bird.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who names my backyard birds! My husband thinks I'm crazy but I have a Cardinal named Frederick, and his mate Ethel. Another Cardinal named Cassius and his mate Athena. Also have several Blue Jay's but haven't been able to tell the difference between male and female to name them. Awesome video, thank you
It's a bonus that you recognized the correct gender of your birds from early on. We have a four year old crow in our yard (along with his large brood) which I affectionately named Evelyn only to discover much later that he's male. I suppose it'll have to stick as he doesn't answer to anything else. I've even tried Everett...wasn't happenin', lol.
Fred and Ginger, (cardinals), Fredericka (Squirrel Mom) who used to have tickle fights with her babies, Plumpy(groundhog) who used to lick Doritos bags when she was preggers... She was VERY Angry when I woke up one Saturday and saw all her snack litter spread out in a circle around her front door (main entryway) and took it all to the trash bin..🗑️🚮 Poor Plumpy.😕 So many friends to love. 😃
I’m so glad you posted this video. I’ve learned more in a few minutes than I could possibly learn by watching. It’s so wonderful to see the trust you have with them. I’ve had very few birds Get close enough to me that it shows a small bit of trust. I’ve only been feeding for a few months, watching for a few more.
My daughter and I were hanging out laundry this morning and the Blue Jays were in our tree calling each other. We decided to learn more and found your video. Thank you!
I have been feeding squirrels for awhile to entertain my kitty cat but a few days ago I had a few blue jays that took the show over. Lol my cat is loving life and the squirrels are old news. I love how they know after I let my dog out what will be waiting for them at the doorstep.
At least one of the Blue Jays in my neighborhood learned to imitate a Cooper's Hawk call. I still remember being caught off guard when I first heard the imitation. I was outside one day, and I heard the call. I ran into to the house to grab my camera and I ran back out hoping to catch a couple shots of the resident Hawk. When I got back outside and waited a few minutes, I saw a Blue Jay fly away and I didn't hear the Hawk calls anymore. I then realized that I was fooled hahaha!! I read that they do that to scare away other birds, especially when there is food involved, but I was amazed to actually witness it in person. The tactic doesn't work though, because all of the usual birds still come to my feeders. It's still fascinating though! It's incredible just how intelligent they are. I have to admit, I'm still terrible at identifying males from females, but I love your explanation though Lesley!
Indeed, birds are shockingly intelligent. They can actually COUNT (in a way) and distinguish between 2, 3, 4 TIMES that they see a stimulus as well as PATTERNS! Find the incredible #STUDY on birds, called: The Bird Brain of Britain.
They imitate Red Tails in MA. They try it a lot but I’ve never seen it work. It doesn’t even fool me anymore. The sound they imitate I only ever hear hawks make when soaring - that classic hawk cry.
i've always loved the blue jay call, as well as the crow caw. i didn't know they had different calls - the male's call is beautiful. you are so lucky to live in the country. and thanks so much for these videos :}
I remember this bird well, it warns the wildlife that I am hiding somewhere in the forest with my camera. Many shots gone lost. Anyway, I like seeing that creature a lot. Thanks for all these facts ... some are absolutely new for me. Well done video. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, they SHOUT ever so loudly in my yard - WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! - telling the (human or feline) dangers they've spied! Precious, I love hearing their shouts of Good Will. Otherwise, they make a tiny "tick" sound with which I actually FOOLED ONE near my window, as he came closer & closer to this phantom BLUEJAY(?) beyond the window-screen, until... he realized what was going on! He did NOT appreciate being fooled LOLL and indignantly flew away. Meanwhile I WAS THRILLED that my "tick-ing" had gotten SO GOOD as to entice him to come very close!
Love your videos Lesley. We have a tribe of Blue Jays hanging around our yard this year eating out of our feeders and using the bird bath ... which they love. They can be annoyingly noisy first thing in the morning but we get a great deal of enjoyment watching them throughout the day. Thanks for sharing with us.
Thank you kindly! And I know what you mean about their "noisiness" I love my guys to bits but I have to admit that there have been a couple rare occasions, in the mornings, that I was annoyed with them too. They pack quite a punch with their calls. I love them though, so I just grin and bear it, lol
Thank you for this video. I just befriended a Blue Jay yesterday, in my backyard. Today, he brought a date. I realized one was male and the other female thanks to your video. I also named my male Blue Jay, Blue. Haven't named the female yet.... Thank you again.
I appreciate the purity of heart of this whole thing. It warmed my heart, for sure! Story time.. I’ve recently given lots of my attention to watching/photographing my backyard birds. I’ve especially enjoyed the Blue Jay’s (if you can’t tell). Thank you for a great & informative video!
I just wanted you to know that I love your work and aspire to be at your level using the video camera. I am learning a lot about birding from your work. I have my first feeder set up just 10 feet away from where I sit each morning and have my first group of Blue Jays that visit promptly between 0630 and 0645. They have been fun to watch and I am starting to know them. This morning they brought two younger (smaller) ones with them. I hope they keep coming back. Thanks again. I'll continue to watch.
i am with Ranger Sly! It always amazes me how you can differentiate the birds and recognize them all. It's mind baffling! I just adore watching your bird videos, and I am so very grateful to you for producing and sharing them with us! Thank you so much! Namaste.
You did an excellent job explaining the many differences. It’ll make it easier for me to know which Blue Jays male/female that are in my yard and come to me for food. Thanks!
I loved your Blue Jay video. I have been close to them for about 1 year now but so far only from the inside window of my house. So nice to know there is a future opportunity to feed them outdoors as you do. I was also well informed to be able to see the difference between males and female Blue Jays. Thank you 😊
I did not know that bit about blue jays being able to see ultraviolet light so thanks for providing that very interesting information. Thanks for all your attention to those details. It’s really great to see how relaxed and trusting they are with you.
How amazing.....I stumbled across this video while surfing for info on blue jays, I've been able to attract them to my yard. I've always loved them and I'm so happy they hang around my home! I have never seen anybody interact so closely with blue jays, I really had fun watching this, and was so informative too. Thanks for posting it!! Maybe if I'm lucky the blue jays in my yard will come a bit closer to me one day.
Thank you for all your videos. I find them a great source of info. We have a bunch of blue jays from all over the neighborhood that come to see us. They come for the peanuts and bird seed. One just got his name changed from "Biggie" to "Hero". He got the old name because he was always being loud and tricking the other birds into thinking danger was close. But the other day, there was real danger in the form of a hawk swooping down on one of our squirrel buddies. Not only did Hero shout out of the danger, he literally swooped in and distracted the hawk from grabbing the squirrel and then made a fast get away. I also have one I named "Wiggles" because when comes to the tree to see us she wiggles her whole body and when I say. "Is that wiggles?" she wiggles more." She's a treat.
I'm so glad that your videos made their way into my recommend stuff! I hope one day to be able to differentiate between the birds and get them comfortable with me. I'd love to be able to hand feed them! They're starting to recognize that I am the one who brings out the food, so I consider that progress! 😊 Thanks for all your info!!
THANK YOU FOR THIS! I have tons of blue jays in my backyard there's probably at least 10 that I know of I love them they're very friendly and come very close. 💙💙💙
I’ve just recently started watching. I love your calm demeanor and amazing videos. I thought I knew quite a lot about common birds, but I’ve learned sooo much! Beautiful, interesting videos. Thank you, Lesley! 🐦❤️
What an awesome video! You answered all my questions! I have a mated pair that come and eat the black oil sunflower seeds off my back porch and these are the first blue jays I've ever seen here. It's so sweet to see the relationship you have with your birds.
I love your video. I am a bird watcher 50+ years, and my friends call me "Nerd Girl". Since childhood I've studied birds, and other wildlife, and I have several Peterson's guides. I got my first nature encyclopedias in 1960s. And I degularly research university ornithology and nat geo websites for bird information. Your video is one of the best and THE MOST enjoyable bird resource I've ever seen. You did a great job on this !! You have really put together a very educational and interesting piece !! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I learned something about my beloved Jays I didn't know !! Superb work !!
I grew up in New Jersey, and was stationed several places with Navy along the Atlantic coast before getting stationed in the Pacific NW in the fall of '92, and have stayed here since getting out. No regrets - I've always wanted to get out here. But there are several things I miss from back there. The autumn colors, thunderstorms (extremely rare here in the Willamette Valley), the warm Gulf Stream in contrast to the cold saltwater we get from Alaska. I certainly don't miss the east coast summer humidity. Also the east had wonderful spring/fall days with the high temps in the mid-60s to mid-70s. Out here there is very little transition from the hot and dry summer, to the cooler and chronically wet rest of the year. Birds I do miss - Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays, particularly against a snowy background, and I miss hearing Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Thank you for your wonderful informative videos, keep them coming and God bless!
Hi Lesley, i just wanted to say that i absolutely love all your videos. Me and my 9 yr old son have been watching them together for over a year now and i think he enjoys them just as much as i do! thank you for doing what you do!
Thank you for this very interesting video about the Blue Jays. I have 5-6 Blue Jays and I always wondered which was which.. and from your video, I am anxious to see how many males/females I have. Blessings to you! I especailly love how the males make their call while jumping.. they are so funny at times too!
Really am enjoying your channel and your talks as a beginning birder. I place my bird food on my deck railing right outside my sliding glass door. My house is kind of a big birdhouse as It’s on stilts 9’ in the air. I live in the deep eastern mountains of WV in a very unpopulated wilderness place called Pocahontas County, only 8500 people live here. We are mostly made up of state and National Forest so birdlife here is abundant. I love my Jays and really enjoy their personalities. Today I have Jays, Mourning Doves, Grackkes, Cardinals and occasional Spartows, Chipping and White Throated. Yesterday a Black Capped Chickadee too. We have quite a few woodpeckers here also and I have a pair (seem to be at least) of Red-bellied woodpeckers, Malanerpes I think you call them. They like to hang on the side of the railing and get seeds but often will stand on top too. I have two observation though I would hope you can comment on as I haven’t found an answer in any research I’ve looked at yet. The Jays hop in their movement but the Grackles which I think are really a blackbird, actually walk, like the Doves do. Any comment on that? Plus I have seen that when two or more Grackles are feeding and one wants to assert itself it holds its head almost straight up and fluffs out its breast feathers to make itself big. Oh and one more thing. The Jays will often flutter their wings when or after they land. I have the same two Dove all the time as they nested beneath my house, had two chicks and have very nicely stayed in the area. Sorry this is a bit of a long comment but as a beginner I having fun observing and learning about all my winged friends. Thank You.
Thank you for this! I have been enjoying the company of first one blue jay, the next year two and now 3-7 but mostly 3.. I didn;t like blue jays.. until they kept coming to my patio. One had a very distinct look.. they call for me to feed them, they are aware when i walk outside and they hear me inside.. when am at the window. it has been so fascinating.. Now i really love them.. i have watched them and photographed them for the past 5 years..
Wonderful video and I am so impressed with your ability to get these very shy birds to both tolerate your close presence and even eat out of your hand. Which brings me to my question. Years ago while canoeing the Allagash river in early October a friend and I encountered a pair of gray jays which I believe are closely related to the blue jay. We couldn't believe how radically different the gray jay's toleration of human presence was from that of the blue jay. Within minutes of their arrival one of these incredibly bold birds was eating sunflower seeds out of my friend's hand. Totally caught up in photographing this I completely forgot that I had a frying pan full of eggs sitting over our campfire. Suddenly my friend yelled "Look at the eggs!" Thinking he was worried that they might burn I ignored him at first (burnt eggs seemed a small price to pay for great photos of a gray jay) but I eventually turned and looked at the frypan full of eggs. To my amazement the second gray jay was literally perched on the hot rim of the frypan eating the eggs! This sort of behavior was of course the reason that lumberjack's nickname for gray jays was Camp Robber! Several years after this I was hiking Mount Kathadin in northern Maine and came upon a young couple who were delighted to have a gray jay literally land on the wife's shoulder, where he remained perched as she hiked along the trail. My question is given their close relationship why would gray jays be so much more tolerant of human presence?
I spend a fair of time with Jays observing them and have never seen one catch food in the air like the peanuts you toss. Great footage of that. Excellent info. Hard to have a favorite but it’s probably jays.
TY Lesley for the video. I have always been told that females are less colorful the males, I have seen Jay's here that have vivid blue and some that are almost in the light blue to grey family. So I was under the impression that vivid blues were male and the other colors female. TY once again for the education.
Hey bird wonder lady love this I been watching my male and female bluejays for awhile had to show my girlfriend this video just to show her we got male and female this year so excited we are up close in this it's unreal loving this ❤️ moment
I have a mated blue jay pair that visits when I feed the neighborhood squirrels. I haven't figured out the genders just yet, but how I know the difference is that one has a bit more white to their tail tip than the other and the one with more blue on their tail has more defined black stripes with it. They are very picky which is funny to watch, but so far they seem ok to share with the squirrels and even a redheaded woodpecker that lives nearby. Thanks so much for all this info on them ^^
thank you so much for this interesting and informative video! Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge of blue jays with us. People like you do a wonderful job of educating people, adding precious data to science, and raising the public's awareness about the importance and beauty of Nature.
EXCELLENT video. Thank you so much for posting it. I love birds, and my favorite ones are the Blue Jay, Cardinal, Phainopepla (Black Cardinal) and Cockatiel.
Great information! As far as Jay calls, I've witnessed one or two arrive near our bird feeders and suet, which was very busy with many birds dining. The Jays are known to have the talent to mimic other bird calls. Some Jays will clear a busy bird feeding station by imitating the sound of a hawk or a crow, which of course will cause other, feeding birds to scatter, leaving a clear path to fly in and gorge at my avian cafe. Sure they are beautiful birds, but their awesome intelligence is also something to admire and behold. Thanks for posting your great vids and info!
I moved house, and now I miss my Bluejays after all my hard work getting them to eat from my hand. Fortunately, there are some Crows around at my new place and the neighbour has been feeding them for a while. They are getting to know me, and tend to gather when they see my car pull into the driveway. They are ALWAYS watching what I am up to. Lol
What an amazing video. Well done indeed. I'm relatively new to bird watching. I placed feeders in my garden about one year ago, close but not too close to my windows. I've been able to identify so many 'visitors' to my garden since then. It is truly amazing. Many Blue Jays visit my feeders, although it took a while for them to start 'visiting'. Now i see and hear them in the trees waiting for feeding time. How do you befriend these beautiful birds as seen in your video?
Great video !!!Thanks for explaining for us dear Lesley!!! :) I love learning things about birds and the bluejays are of my favorites birds next to the Alcyone (my profile photo) Take care of you and your lovely feather friends! Happy autummn, love and greetings from Greece !!! :) ♥ Yianna P.
Happy Summer today! Lesley, in this video,I understand is a great reference for my enjoyment of the behavior on-going of the blue jay surveys. The female and the male this fall will come visit to feed from my apartment deck for a feast of peanuts. I'll watch for the pleasure, if they will be staying around this part of the winter again. 2022-23 year, summer to autumn. Winter, wondering if the cooked liver protein interests the blue jays, if they will eat it. I'll continue to provide, from the pet store, packaged peanuts unsalted🇨🇦🐣⏳
We should take a hint from the blue Jays as far as sharing parent responsibility! I like how the dad feeds them, and basically changes their metaphorical diaper by keeping the nest clean! That's amazing. So glad I found this channel. I love learning about my own birdies! 🐦 Quick question; I don't have many trees close to my house besides the big oak tree in front, which is the hot spot, and a bunch of old evergreens (I believe, big fat Christmas tree thats 25 feet tall) that are due to die soon unfortunately thanks to bag worms. And a small mulberry bush area in the back. The woods around us is where they mostly live (very country-like here) but I wonder what else I can provide for them. Maybe plant bushes? Or more trees? We had gotten this Melissa and Doug birdhouse for my daughter to paint and we put it up in a couple spots but so far no takers on it yet. Maybe because it wasn't any higher than about 7 foot? Do they need to be high up? I still have so much to learn! I need a video on all of this! 😆
Thank you so much for making this video! The blue jays are pretty and I always wondered if, like the cardinals, the female is an off color or even a rust color. I have 18 species of birds I feed every morning. This year there seems to be alot more blue jays. They communicate as soon as one spots me to let the others know I'm bringing out the feed! Lots of racket! I holler, "Peep, peep! Peep, peep!" and you can see birds coming from all around!! I have 4 hanging feeders, 4 suet feeders, and throw out 2 cups of mixed seeds on the ground mixed in with 2 large handfuls of peanuts in the shell!
Good Stuff. I live in Florida and have a few Blue jays in my backyard that I feed on my bird feeder. I really enjoy them! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I have tons of bluejays in my backyard, I'll have to pay more attention to their behavior... I didn't realize the females look just like the males!! Thank you for this info ❤️
Something not mentioned that I saw is the males have a darker and more prominent blue band above their black line on their throat. So just above that blue stripe, all the males seemed to have a bigger and brighter blue fluff.
That’s awesome!! I love birds, but Jays are one of my favorites. I think that’s amazing that you have such a rapport with these gorgeous birds. Thank you for your info. 👏☺️
Wow, fantastic video, VERY informative and interesting! My backyard has been compared to Omaha's Wild Kingdom (lol) as we have so many varieties of birds and other wild species of animals that frequent for either food and/or a safe place to rest/sleep (and we don't even live out in the country). So far, my husband and I have counted roughly 12-14 species of birds alone with Bluejays being the most abundant. I've always been fascinated and curious of their calls, who's male, who's female, territory, family life, etc. You've answered so many of my questions. Really appreciate your channel - thank you! 🙂
Thanks for sharing what you've learned about the wonderful Blue Jays our Creator has given us. Very informative you were. Now I know how to tell the difference, which I've tried to know through casual observation for years. Distinct calls; size; food offerings; which one only sits on the nest and the last one I had figured out on my own, which is a number of males will give pursuit to a female. Thanks again
Thank you for this video, it was informative and interesting. Two years ago we were lucky enough to get a close-up peek at three fledglings getting occasional food from parents. Since then we've noticed several adults that come to our backyard feeder. We like to think they're those grown babies. Hoping to get to know them better!
It's great seeing these birds! We don't have Blue Jays in the PNW but the Stellar (which are darker blue ) and Gray Jays both which seem larger than your Blues. Please do a video on identifying male vs female crows!
Hi, Leslie. Thanks for posting these informative posts on Blue Jays. I feed peanuts to a pair of Blue Jays, plus a single one, every day. They do what I call a "happy call", which sounds like a bell ringing, and another call with 3 syllables I can't describe. In addition, they have a "whining", drawn out vocalization that either they use, or their teenage offspring uses, (maybe begging for food from parents) I just wish they would land on my hand like one of your feathered friends does!
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I saw one type of these birds in the south of the UK. It stops gave a song and flew away, looking at me. Felt like I was hallucinating as never seen one of these before and in the UK they are rare.
i luv blue jays calls(":
We have a baby blue jay and we can't tell what he or she is can you help us
I found one with a broken wing... Idk what to do...
My bird died today she had a sezer and we buryed her with her favorite stuff
I raised a baby blue may last year. I'm pretty sure she was a female. I just fed her and really never held her much wanted to have her not be used to humane contact. When she could eat by herself and could fly a bit i would let her out and flap her wings the cage she was in was over 6 foot tall 4ft wide when she got away once she was out all night and I was so worried she came back the next morning very hungry so I got her back in the cage better waited until there were a whole bunch of blue jays where she was born and I let her out and she came back one time 4 her favorite food cashews then back again and I think she would come by every once in awhile a squawk I would put your blue jay sounds on for her so she knew what they sounded like and she likes it. I rescued her because a cat was going to eat her. I'm glad I rescued her cuz hopefully it's been a year now she has babies of her own. I'm from Springfield Illinois.
Cheryl Knox Wow, that’s a wonderful thing you did! 😀👍🏼
What a HERO you are! So wonderful you were able to raise the little tyke until she could fly away with others. ♥
Thats great! Im in the same situatiion. Ive been raising an abandoned fledgling jay for couple weeks now....i feed it blueberries from my yard and caterpillars from my crops, as well as crushed nuts.
The jay is starting to jump fly glide right now. Its so friendly and curious. I hope that it can integrate in the wild successfully...I didnt think I would ever care or get attached this much to a bird
That is so awesome. ❤️
Nice comment!
Very well done video! I'm still amazed how you can recognize all your bird friends individually.
Thank you very much.
I find Blue jays to be the easiest to tell apart.
LesleytheBirdNerd I know what you mean, people ask the same to me when I am chilling with birds, lol. Dont have these birds in Sweden what I know.Remind me little of magpies but in a more polute way:). Great video, thank you.
@@LesleytheBirdNerd In my old home area my family and I noticed particularly interesting behavior... My son noticed a Jay come to the birdbath, drop in a twig, peck it to get it fully soaked,allowing a moment.It then plucked the twig from the water and flew right up to its nest. This was in hot, dry weather. Each of us saw this behavior repeatedly. IT looked to me like it kept the stick horizonal as it flew. It perched on the nest , tilting the wet stick !.It looked to us like the young were drinkig the droplets from the tilted stick. WE ARE CONVINCED.What do you think ? Have you ever seen this behavior?. Thanks, Donna. 🐦
@@donnajohnson3334 How interesting, thanks for sharing!
@@donnajohnson3334 Damn! I'm no expert but that seems smart as hell.
Ha ha, very interesting. Before I knew it was a Bluejay that made the squeeky gate call., I called it the Wash line bird. For when growing up we had an outdoor washline where we would hang out washed clothes to dry, with a pulley at the end of the line. When we would pull the washline through the pulley it made a sound like the Bluejays squeeky gate call. So I called it the Washline bird.
That’s funny! We always called it the “squeaky clothesline” call as well.
I had a clothesline that sounded exactly like it too!!!!!
Blue Jays will dive-bomb anything too near their nest, crying THIEF, THIEF !
We had the round one that you could spin.. Squeek squeeek... As kids we used to hide costume jewelry in the back yard and then dig it up again pretending we found it for the first time. Right next to our wash line spinner. Miss those days. Full of sun and wonder.
i called it the rusty swing!
My husband and I bought some peanuts for our squirrels this year and we noticed that the Blue Jays ate them and loved them more than our squirrels did! You are so blessed to be able to and feed birds! How awesome is that! And it's amazing that you can tell them apart and have given them names!
I kept my dogs food dish outside, and a jay would come and steal dog food every morning. He acted so bold and boisterous.
I love Blue jays, and everything about them. They're my favorite bird.
Hazelnuts for squirrels
Your relationship with them is incredible. Thanks so much for the video!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who names my backyard birds! My husband thinks I'm crazy but I have a Cardinal named Frederick, and his mate Ethel. Another Cardinal named Cassius and his mate Athena. Also have several Blue Jay's but haven't been able to tell the difference between male and female to name them. Awesome video, thank you
It's a bonus that you recognized the correct gender of your birds from early on. We have a four year old crow in our yard (along with his large brood) which I affectionately named Evelyn only to discover much later that he's male. I suppose it'll have to stick as he doesn't answer to anything else. I've even tried Everett...wasn't happenin', lol.
We have a cardinal couple named Jose and Claudia. :)
Fred and Ginger, (cardinals), Fredericka (Squirrel Mom) who used to have tickle fights with her babies, Plumpy(groundhog) who used to lick Doritos bags when she was preggers... She was VERY Angry when I woke up one Saturday and saw all her snack litter spread out in a circle around her front door (main entryway) and took it all to the trash bin..🗑️🚮 Poor Plumpy.😕
So many friends to love. 😃
@@jencameron8124He can be like Evelyn Waugh, (pronounced Eev' lyn) the author. It's an old male name, too. 😉
@@craffte Ah, there ya go...so cool. I've never heard of this version. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Blue jays are just about my favorite bird. Thank you for putting out these videos!
I’m so glad you posted this video. I’ve learned more in a few minutes than I could possibly learn by watching.
It’s so wonderful to see the trust you have with them. I’ve had very few birds Get close enough to me that it shows a small bit of trust. I’ve only been feeding for a few months, watching for a few more.
My daughter and I were hanging out laundry this morning and the Blue Jays were in our tree calling each other. We decided to learn more and found your video. Thank you!
4:58 they look like they're about to drop the hottest indie album of the year
God is amazing, brilliant, beautiful creatures. Thanks for the upload.
I have been feeding squirrels for awhile to entertain my kitty cat but a few days ago I had a few blue jays that took the show over. Lol my cat is loving life and the squirrels are old news. I love how they know after I let my dog out what will be waiting for them at the doorstep.
At least one of the Blue Jays in my neighborhood learned to imitate a Cooper's Hawk call. I still remember being caught off guard when I first heard the imitation.
I was outside one day, and I heard the call. I ran into to the house to grab my camera and I ran back out hoping to catch a couple shots of the resident Hawk.
When I got back outside and waited a few minutes, I saw a Blue Jay fly away and I didn't hear the Hawk calls anymore. I then realized that I was fooled hahaha!!
I read that they do that to scare away other birds, especially when there is food involved, but I was amazed to actually witness it in person. The tactic doesn't work though, because all of the usual birds still come to my feeders. It's still fascinating though!
It's incredible just how intelligent they are. I have to admit, I'm still terrible at identifying males from females, but I love your explanation though Lesley!
they also do it to scare squirrels off so they can take their food
In my area, it is the broadwinged hawk the jaybirds immitate.
Indeed, birds are shockingly intelligent. They can actually COUNT (in a way) and distinguish between 2, 3, 4 TIMES that they see a stimulus as well as PATTERNS! Find the incredible #STUDY on birds, called: The Bird Brain of Britain.
I have also heard Bluejays mimic hawks. I kept looking for the hawk and finally determined it was a jay.
They imitate Red Tails in MA. They try it a lot but I’ve never seen it work. It doesn’t even fool me anymore. The sound they imitate I only ever hear hawks make when soaring - that classic hawk cry.
You are such an angel to care for and love these birds.
i've always loved the blue jay call, as well as the crow caw. i didn't know they had different calls - the male's call is beautiful. you are so lucky to live in the country. and thanks so much for these videos :}
love the crow. over time. they have a bad rap
I remember this bird well, it warns the wildlife that I am hiding somewhere in the forest with my camera. Many shots gone lost. Anyway, I like seeing that creature a lot.
Thanks for all these facts ... some are absolutely new for me.
Well done video. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, they SHOUT ever so loudly in my yard - WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! - telling the (human or feline) dangers they've spied! Precious, I love hearing their shouts of Good Will. Otherwise, they make a tiny "tick" sound with which I actually FOOLED ONE near my window, as he came closer & closer to this phantom BLUEJAY(?) beyond the window-screen, until... he realized what was going on! He did NOT appreciate being fooled LOLL and indignantly flew away. Meanwhile I WAS THRILLED that my "tick-ing" had gotten SO GOOD as to entice him to come very close!
Thank you for that interesting Blue Jay info..beautiful photography as well.
Thank you for this very special and knowledgeable presentation. I so love it. I am watching my blue jays with new information.
Love your videos Lesley. We have a tribe of Blue Jays hanging around our yard this year eating out of our feeders and using the bird bath ... which they love. They can be annoyingly noisy first thing in the morning but we get a great deal of enjoyment watching them throughout the day. Thanks for sharing with us.
Thank you kindly!
And I know what you mean about their "noisiness" I love my guys to bits but I have to admit that there have been a couple rare occasions, in the mornings, that I was annoyed with them too. They pack quite a punch with their calls. I love them though, so I just grin and bear it, lol
Thank you for this video. I just befriended a Blue Jay yesterday, in my backyard. Today, he brought a date. I realized one was male and the other female thanks to your video. I also named my male Blue Jay, Blue. Haven't named the female yet....
Thank you again.
you are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo awesome!
Love the blues and your vids are the best!
Please keep it up!
Love and hugs!
I appreciate the purity of heart of this whole thing. It warmed my heart, for sure!
Story time.. I’ve recently given lots of my attention to watching/photographing my backyard birds. I’ve especially enjoyed the Blue Jay’s (if you can’t tell). Thank you for a great & informative video!
I just wanted you to know that I love your work and aspire to be at your level using the video camera. I am learning a lot about birding from your work. I have my first feeder set up just 10 feet away from where I sit each morning and have my first group of Blue Jays that visit promptly between 0630 and 0645. They have been fun to watch and I am starting to know them. This morning they brought two younger (smaller) ones with them. I hope they keep coming back. Thanks again. I'll continue to watch.
The rattle call sounds like marbles clucking together very quickly. The squeaky gate is fun to watch them do, but the whisper call is fascinating!
i am with Ranger Sly! It always amazes me how you can differentiate the birds and recognize them all. It's mind baffling! I just adore watching your bird videos, and I am so very grateful to you for producing and sharing them with us! Thank you so much! Namaste.
How beautiful they are !!!! Only God could have created something so beautiful!
Excellent video, my wife and I have gained substantial knowledge from watching your videos. Thanks for making them and yes, I’m now a subscriber.
Beautiful Birds
You did an excellent job explaining the many differences. It’ll make it easier for me to know which Blue Jays male/female that are in my yard and come to me for food. Thanks!
I loved your Blue Jay video. I have been close to them for about 1 year now but so far only from the inside window of my house. So nice to know there is a future opportunity to feed them outdoors as you do. I was also well informed to be able to see the difference between males and female Blue Jays. Thank you 😊
I did not know that bit about blue jays being able to see ultraviolet light so thanks for providing that very interesting information. Thanks for all your attention to those details. It’s really great to see how relaxed and trusting they are with you.
How amazing.....I stumbled across this video while surfing for info on blue jays, I've been able to attract them to my yard. I've always loved them and I'm so happy they hang around my home! I have never seen anybody interact so closely with blue jays, I really had fun watching this, and was so informative too. Thanks for posting it!! Maybe if I'm lucky the blue jays in my yard will come a bit closer to me one day.
Thank you for all your videos. I find them a great source of info.
We have a bunch of blue jays from all over the neighborhood that come to see us. They come for the peanuts and bird seed. One just got his name changed from "Biggie" to "Hero". He got the old name because he was always being loud and tricking the other birds into thinking danger was close. But the other day, there was real danger in the form of a hawk swooping down on one of our squirrel buddies. Not only did Hero shout out of the danger, he literally swooped in and distracted the hawk from grabbing the squirrel and then made a fast get away. I also have one I named "Wiggles" because when comes to the tree to see us she wiggles her whole body and when I say. "Is that wiggles?" she wiggles more." She's a treat.
I'm so glad that your videos made their way into my recommend stuff! I hope one day to be able to differentiate between the birds and get them comfortable with me. I'd love to be able to hand feed them! They're starting to recognize that I am the one who brings out the food, so I consider that progress! 😊 Thanks for all your info!!
THANK YOU FOR THIS! I have tons of blue jays in my backyard there's probably at least 10 that I know of I love them they're very friendly and come very close. 💙💙💙
I’ve just recently started watching. I love your calm demeanor and amazing videos. I thought I knew quite a lot about common birds, but I’ve learned sooo much! Beautiful, interesting videos. Thank you, Lesley! 🐦❤️
The cutest featherheads, music, the names, and Lesley's Canadian accent. Adorable channel.
Thank you Lesley the bird nerd. I enjoy your videos & the descriptions, that you give.
What an awesome video! You answered all my questions! I have a mated pair that come and eat the black oil sunflower seeds off my back porch and these are the first blue jays I've ever seen here. It's so sweet to see the relationship you have with your birds.
fantastic info. sqeaky gate. i used to call it rusty swing. like what you do,
I love your videos. Great photography, EXCELLENT commentary and a calm soothing voice to listen to.
Amazing how they'll eat out of your hand! That must have taken a long time to get them to trust you that much.
I love your video. I am a bird watcher 50+ years, and my friends call me "Nerd Girl".
Since childhood I've studied birds, and other wildlife, and I have several Peterson's guides. I got my first nature encyclopedias in 1960s.
And I degularly research university ornithology and nat geo websites for bird information.
Your video is one of the best and THE MOST enjoyable bird resource I've ever seen.
You did a great job on this !!
You have really put together a very educational and interesting piece !!
I thoroughly enjoyed it and I learned something about my beloved Jays I didn't know !!
Superb work !!
You're lucky to have such beautiful birdies around you! They are really sweet!!!💕💕💕💕
All of your blue jay videos have made it so much more fun and interesting to observe them in my back yard. Thank you!
That is wonderful :)
I grew up in New Jersey, and was stationed several places with Navy along the Atlantic coast before getting stationed in the Pacific NW in the fall of '92, and have stayed here since getting out. No regrets - I've always wanted to get out here. But there are several things I miss from back there. The autumn colors, thunderstorms (extremely rare here in the Willamette Valley), the warm Gulf Stream in contrast to the cold saltwater we get from Alaska. I certainly don't miss the east coast summer humidity. Also the east had wonderful spring/fall days with the high temps in the mid-60s to mid-70s. Out here there is very little transition from the hot and dry summer, to the cooler and chronically wet rest of the year. Birds I do miss - Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays, particularly against a snowy background, and I miss hearing Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Thank you for your wonderful informative videos, keep them coming and God bless!
I am so in love with your Blue Jay videos!!! So impressed with your knowledge and interactions with them!
Hi Lesley, i just wanted to say that i absolutely love all your videos. Me and my 9 yr old son have been watching them together for over a year now and i think he enjoys them just as much as i do! thank you for doing what you do!
Great job, i had no idea how to differentiate m/f. Bluejays eating out of your hand is quite an accomplishment.
Very interesting, thank you! Your bird friends appear very loyal.
Thank you for this very interesting video about the Blue Jays. I have 5-6 Blue Jays and I always wondered which was which.. and from your video, I am anxious to see how many males/females I have. Blessings to you! I especailly love how the males make their call while jumping.. they are so funny at times too!
Really am enjoying your channel and your talks as a beginning birder. I place my bird food on my deck railing right outside my sliding glass door. My house is kind of a big birdhouse as It’s on stilts 9’ in the air. I live in the deep eastern mountains of WV in a very unpopulated wilderness place called Pocahontas County, only 8500 people live here. We are mostly made up of state and National Forest so birdlife here is abundant.
I love my Jays and really enjoy their personalities. Today I have Jays, Mourning Doves, Grackkes, Cardinals and occasional Spartows, Chipping and White Throated. Yesterday a Black Capped Chickadee too.
We have quite a few woodpeckers here also and I have a pair (seem to be at least) of Red-bellied woodpeckers, Malanerpes I think you call them. They like to hang on the side of the railing and get seeds but often will stand on top too. I have two observation though I would hope you can comment on as I haven’t found an answer in any research I’ve looked at yet. The Jays hop in their movement but the Grackles which I think are really a blackbird, actually walk, like the Doves do. Any comment on that? Plus I have seen that when two or more Grackles are feeding and one wants to assert itself it holds its head almost straight up and fluffs out its breast feathers to make itself big. Oh and one more thing. The Jays will often flutter their wings when or after they land.
I have the same two Dove all the time as they nested beneath my house, had two chicks and have very nicely stayed in the area. Sorry this is a bit of a long comment but as a beginner I having fun observing and learning about all my winged friends. Thank You.
I think you have covered it. Thanks for sharing🐦
Thank you for this! I have been enjoying the company of first one blue jay, the next year two and now 3-7 but mostly 3.. I didn;t like blue jays.. until they kept coming to my patio. One had a very distinct look.. they call for me to feed them, they are aware when i walk outside and they hear me inside.. when am at the window. it has been so fascinating.. Now i really love them.. i have watched them and photographed them for the past 5 years..
Thank you for making this video! I've got 4 Jays that are hunkering down the midwest winter.
Wonderful video and I am so impressed with your ability to get these very shy birds to both tolerate your close presence and even eat out of your hand. Which brings me to my question. Years ago while canoeing the Allagash river in early October a friend and I encountered a pair of gray jays which I believe are closely related to the blue jay. We couldn't believe how radically different the gray jay's toleration of human presence was from that of the blue jay. Within minutes of their arrival one of these incredibly bold birds was eating sunflower seeds out of my friend's hand. Totally caught up in photographing this I completely forgot that I had a frying pan full of eggs sitting over our campfire. Suddenly my friend yelled "Look at the eggs!" Thinking he was worried that they might burn I ignored him at first (burnt eggs seemed a small price to pay for great photos of a gray jay) but I eventually turned and looked at the frypan full of eggs. To my amazement the second gray jay was literally perched on the hot rim of the frypan eating the eggs! This sort of behavior was of course the reason that lumberjack's nickname for gray jays was Camp Robber! Several years after this I was hiking Mount Kathadin in northern Maine and came upon a young couple who were delighted to have a gray jay literally land on the wife's shoulder, where he remained perched as she hiked along the trail. My question is given their close relationship why would gray jays be so much more tolerant of human presence?
Thanks so much for this video, always learning something new...
You are welcome. Thanks so much for watching the video
I spend a fair of time with Jays observing them and have never seen one catch food in the air like the peanuts you toss. Great footage of that.
Excellent info. Hard to have a favorite but it’s probably jays.
TY Lesley for the video. I have always been told that females are less colorful the males, I have seen Jay's here that have vivid blue and some that are almost in the light blue to grey family. So I was under the impression that vivid blues were male and the other colors female. TY once again for the education.
Hey bird wonder lady love this I been watching my male and female bluejays for awhile had to show my girlfriend this video just to show her we got male and female this year so excited we are up close in this it's unreal loving this ❤️ moment
Awesome and I love that you can feed them by hand 💕
Your videos make me happy! Always fun and informative . . . Thanks very much
I learned a lot about the Beautiful Blue Jay from you. Thank you for the Educational opportunity.
They're very beautiful birds.
I have a mated blue jay pair that visits when I feed the neighborhood squirrels. I haven't figured out the genders just yet, but how I know the difference is that one has a bit more white to their tail tip than the other and the one with more blue on their tail has more defined black stripes with it. They are very picky which is funny to watch, but so far they seem ok to share with the squirrels and even a redheaded woodpecker that lives nearby. Thanks so much for all this info on them ^^
This is an exceptional and rare video. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS.
thank you so much for this interesting and informative video! Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge of blue jays with us. People like you do a wonderful job of educating people, adding precious data to science, and raising the public's awareness about the importance and beauty of Nature.
I LOVE your videos. I’m the family bird expert, but I am learning how much I don’t know. Thank you!
EXCELLENT video. Thank you so much for posting it. I love birds, and my favorite ones are the Blue Jay, Cardinal, Phainopepla (Black Cardinal) and Cockatiel.
That's so interesting with the way birds detect color.
Thank you so much for making this video.
Great information! As far as Jay calls, I've witnessed one or two arrive near our bird feeders and suet, which was very busy with many birds dining. The Jays are known to have the talent to mimic other bird calls.
Some Jays will clear a busy bird feeding station by imitating the sound of a hawk or a crow, which of course will cause other, feeding birds to scatter, leaving a clear path to fly in and gorge at my avian cafe. Sure they are beautiful birds, but their awesome intelligence is also something to admire and behold. Thanks for posting your great vids and info!
I moved house, and now I miss my Bluejays after all my hard work getting them to eat from my hand.
Fortunately, there are some Crows around at my new place and the neighbour has been feeding them for a while. They are getting to know me, and tend to gather when they see my car pull into the driveway. They are ALWAYS watching what I am up to. Lol
I believe that. The crows I feed know my car too. They perch in the birch tree outside my house an watch me. So funny. Crows are awesome.
i love crows and, as you must know, they are very, very smart. so glad you have new friends :}
Crows are awesome and yes very smart. I feed the crows also. It’s hard not to give them a little something to snack on. They like peanuts.
I love all animals, and you're helping me understand birds more. Thank you
Beautiful video! My husband truly enjoyed it too, and thanks for all the info you shared on these beautiful birds!
Beautiful birds.
Really nice job informing you’ve done! Enjoy even more what the Creator has created for you!
What an amazing video.
Well done indeed.
I'm relatively new to bird watching.
I placed feeders in my garden about one year ago, close but not too close to my windows. I've been able to identify so many 'visitors' to my garden since then. It is truly amazing. Many Blue Jays visit my feeders, although it took a while for them to start 'visiting'. Now i see and hear them in the trees waiting for feeding time. How do you befriend these beautiful birds as seen in your video?
Thank you for this! I've been watching the blue jays at our feeders for a couple of years now and will be glad to have this info!!
I think that you have done a wonderful job on this video. Thank you so much.
Great video! Thanks so much for doing this work. I and my granddaughter really enjoyed it.
Great video !!!Thanks for explaining for us dear Lesley!!! :)
I love learning things about birds and the bluejays are of my favorites birds next to the Alcyone (my profile photo)
Take care of you and your lovely feather friends! Happy autummn, love and greetings from Greece !!! :) ♥
Yianna P.
Happy Summer today! Lesley, in this video,I understand is a great reference for my enjoyment of the behavior on-going of the blue jay surveys. The female and the male this fall will come visit to feed from my apartment deck for a feast of peanuts. I'll watch for the pleasure, if they will be staying around this part of the winter again. 2022-23 year, summer to autumn. Winter, wondering if the cooked liver protein interests the blue jays, if they will eat it. I'll continue to provide, from the pet store, packaged peanuts unsalted🇨🇦🐣⏳
We should take a hint from the blue Jays as far as sharing parent responsibility! I like how the dad feeds them, and basically changes their metaphorical diaper by keeping the nest clean! That's amazing.
So glad I found this channel. I love learning about my own birdies! 🐦 Quick question; I don't have many trees close to my house besides the big oak tree in front, which is the hot spot, and a bunch of old evergreens (I believe, big fat Christmas tree thats 25 feet tall) that are due to die soon unfortunately thanks to bag worms. And a small mulberry bush area in the back. The woods around us is where they mostly live (very country-like here) but I wonder what else I can provide for them. Maybe plant bushes? Or more trees? We had gotten this Melissa and Doug birdhouse for my daughter to paint and we put it up in a couple spots but so far no takers on it yet. Maybe because it wasn't any higher than about 7 foot? Do they need to be high up? I still have so much to learn! I need a video on all of this! 😆
To be able to recognize all those Jays by how they look and bye name is awesome!!
Thank you so much for making this video! The blue jays are pretty and I always wondered if, like the cardinals, the female is an off color or even a rust color. I have 18 species of birds I feed every morning. This year there seems to be alot more blue jays. They communicate as soon as one spots me to let the others know I'm bringing out the feed! Lots of racket! I holler, "Peep, peep! Peep, peep!" and you can see birds coming from all around!! I have 4 hanging feeders, 4 suet feeders, and throw out 2 cups of mixed seeds on the ground mixed in with 2 large handfuls of peanuts in the shell!
Good Stuff. I live in Florida and have a few Blue jays in my backyard that I feed on my bird feeder. I really enjoy them! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Finally heard the female call this morning. Thanks for your video.
I have tons of bluejays in my backyard, I'll have to pay more attention to their behavior... I didn't realize the females look just like the males!! Thank you for this info ❤️
Amazing! Thanks for educating us! I really enjoyed this.
Something not mentioned that I saw is the males have a darker and more prominent blue band above their black line on their throat. So just above that blue stripe, all the males seemed to have a bigger and brighter blue fluff.
That’s awesome!! I love birds, but Jays are one of my favorites. I think that’s amazing that you have such a rapport with these gorgeous birds. Thank you for your info. 👏☺️
Just discovered your channel. Thanks. I love the birds and am learning a lot from your talks.
I'm new to this and it has been very enjoyable.thank you.
Wow, fantastic video, VERY informative and interesting! My backyard has been compared to Omaha's Wild Kingdom (lol) as we have so many varieties of birds and other wild species of animals that frequent for either food and/or a safe place to rest/sleep (and we don't even live out in the country). So far, my husband and I have counted roughly 12-14 species of birds alone with Bluejays being the most abundant. I've always been fascinated and curious of their calls, who's male, who's female, territory, family life, etc. You've answered so many of my questions. Really appreciate your channel - thank you! 🙂
Howdy - that was amazing - love Blue Jays - thanks so much for sharing -
Thanks for sharing what you've learned about the wonderful Blue Jays our Creator has given us. Very informative you were. Now I know how to tell the difference, which I've tried to know through casual observation for years. Distinct calls; size; food offerings; which one only sits on the nest and the last one I had figured out on my own, which is a number of males will give pursuit to a female. Thanks again
Thank you for this video, it was informative and interesting. Two years ago we were lucky enough to get a close-up peek at three fledglings getting occasional food from parents. Since then we've noticed several adults that come to our backyard feeder. We like to think they're those grown babies. Hoping to get to know them better!
It's great seeing these birds! We don't have Blue Jays in the PNW but the Stellar (which are darker blue ) and Gray Jays both which seem larger than your Blues. Please do a video on identifying male vs female crows!
Hi, Leslie. Thanks for posting these informative posts on Blue Jays. I feed peanuts to a pair of Blue Jays, plus a single one, every day. They do what I call a "happy call", which sounds like a bell ringing, and another call with 3 syllables I can't describe. In addition, they have a "whining", drawn out vocalization that either they use, or their teenage offspring uses, (maybe begging for food from parents) I just wish they would land on my hand like one of your feathered friends does!