Friday, November 25, 2016

Pinyon Jay

This was an unexpected Thanksgiving Day treat. A group of 12 regal Pinyon Jays spied the fresh (mostly ground peanuts) suet cylinder that I had hung on a bare tree in our Aldea front yard within the last few days. The group descended on and clamored for dominance of the cylinder. Kind of like a frenzied game of King of the Mountain. I was surprised that they went after the suet so diligently, devouring quite a bit during a single one-hour session. I have had these type of no-melt suet cylinders in the backyard, but the jays never went near them. I had placed the cylinders out for the sparrows, finches, and towhees.

I had not seen any Pinyon Jays in our yard for well over a year. They used to occasionally perch at the top of the juniper trees infrequently throughout a typical year, but at least I would see them. I have a hunch that the construction of the new assisted living facility disturbed some of the resident Pinyon Jay population and they relocated to the lower-back part of Aldea where the tennis courts are. I am seeing larger flocks of up to 100 flying up and down Frijoles Arroyo now and I hear them out near the tennis courts. 

The Pinyon Jay is considered very vulnerable and its numbers have dramatically decreased in New Mexico and the US since its supporting habitat of pinyon-juniper woodlands is in decline. Aldea is lucky to have them in our midst and we need to do everything we can to help this beautiful and unique character of bird species survive and flourish.

I think that their elegant coloration, a beautiful suite of blues and grays, is stunning. I am elevated when I observe a Pinyon Jay in the right light. Some of the photos I was able to capture display its beauty well. It is rich and regal along with being dark and mysterious. These birds project such intelligence and exhibit a strong community dynamic that is so enjoyable to watch. They were using their very unique and strong black bills to great advantage in spearing the suet and then whisking chunks of their prize off across the street to devour in the inner seclusion of several larger Juniper trees.

Their diet mainly consists of nuts, pine seeds, grass seeds, berries, insects and the young of small birds. They forage in the 3,000 to 8,000 foot range in the pinyon-juniper forest areas of New Mexico and adjacent states. Pinyon Jays store seeds in the fall to eat in the winter and early spring. They have excellent memories and have been know to hide seeds under the cover of snow. Mated pairs appear to coordinate their food caching so that the locations are know to each other. They live in larger flocks of up to 500 and spend their entire lives in the flock into which they are born.

A group of jays are known as a “band”, “cast”, “party”, or “scold”.  A “party of jays” was apt for this group I so enjoyed watching and photographing.

Click on photos to enlarge. Photos taken November 2016 in Aldea de Santa Fe yard.

















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