54 ] The Delightful Hobby of Bird Watching 



it often perches on some lofty spot to deliver its song a rapid 

 succession of metallic-sounding chips. 



JAYS 



If you travel from coast to coast, there are few places where 

 you will lose sight of the jay family. Of its various members the 

 blue jays are most common, most widespread and probably the 

 boldest. Their striking markings make them easy to recognize, 

 and anywhere from the Atlantic Coast to the Rocky Mountains 

 you may see them along highways and byways. In bright blue 

 plumage marked with stripes and patches of black and with clear 

 white, they fly with a regular series of wing flappings. Or else they 

 strut and swagger on the ground, scolding loudly at any bird, 

 man, or beast that seems likely to interfere with their activities. 

 Usually they have a raucous cry, but they can also produce flute- 

 like notes as well as a noise resembling the sound of nutcracking. 

 Sometimes they imitate the cry of the red-shouldered hawk. 



In the West, the Steller jay is slightly larger than the blue jay, and 

 you can distinguish it by its black head, throat and breast and itr 

 long black crest. The "California" jay (also found in Florida) has a 

 blue cap, back, wings, and tail. 



CROWS 



The chances are your child has been able to recognize a 

 crow for a long time, if only from seeing pictures of this black 

 bird in connection with scarecrows ever since he was of nursery 

 school age. The crow is also one of the easiest birds to "spot" 

 in fields and woods because of its large size and its intense black 

 coloring, identical in male and female. You are likely to see crows 

 near farms; unfortunately, their taste runs to such crops as corn 

 and wheat as well as fruit. 



Crows are also fond of the eggs and fledglings of thrushes and 

 meadow larks, game birds, and even poultry. That is why the 

 crow is in great disfavor with farmers and with the champions 

 of songbirds. But "Peck's bad boy" of the bird world though it 

 may be, the crow is a prime favorite with children. And we must 

 admit that with all the damage crows cause, they do make up 



