Blue Jay Boarders 



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peanuts and take his others instead, or else return a piece of soda cracker and 

 take a peanut instead, or again, take a whole peanut and return a kernel, or 

 perhaps just return a peanut and retain a kernel in his throat. They never bring 

 anything other than that which they have taken, except a lot of sand. Their 

 feet are very dirty and besides scratching a window-sill and leaving it covered 

 with sand, they soon darken a piece of new wood when they perch on it. 



In summer, Jays are reckless in getting nuts and do not mind my sitting at 

 the end of the window, and people moving about the room, either loud talking 

 or singing. I took the views I send about three feet from the window, and no 

 pretence whatever was made at covering the camera or myself, or my hands. 

 The birds do not object to my sitting at the window. Last summer and fall the 

 Jays ate about three window-sills' full of peanuts each morning. That is, I had 

 to put out three supplies before they were satisfied; but as the weather got cold 



BLUE JAY GUESTS 



either the number of birds or their appetites dropped off and they ate about a 

 dozen English walnuts daily. Peanuts were then untouched, both the roasted 

 and raw, shelled or whole. 



Some of the Jays imagine they have more privileges than others and drive 

 others away, and some, like human beings, allow themselves to be driven away. 

 Their rule seems to be " one bird at a time. " It is very seldom that two birds are 

 on the sill at the same time unless they are young and being fed. Two birdc at 

 the same time almost invariably results in a fight. As soon as a bird leaves the 

 sill, after he may have tried to make a combination of any two of the nuts, his 

 place is instantly taken by another who swoops down and tries to make two of 

 the nuts fit his throat, often turning the nuts over back end first, or combining 

 other nuts, or returning some previously taken. I have often seen Jays make a 

 bee-line for my window from a block away. They seldom eat at the window-sill. A 

 Jay will generally eat his first portion in a neighboring elm, and after that wait until 

 his mate has her two nuts, and then both fly away together carrying a nut apiece. 



