IT ALL STARTED last fall when we started seeing more Steller's Jays in our corner of the state. Through the winter and into the the spring they continued to make appearances on a regular basis. Even in summer, when you thought they had moved on, one would make an appearance at our feeders, announcing their presence with typical Jay scolds or a surprisingly good imitation of a Red-tailed Hawk scream. Sightings in town and in the countryside became pretty regular. Their indigo and blue feathers, bold crest, and raucous scolding are a treat anytime.
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| Steller's Jay in Kettle Falls |
Always, on the fringes, rare sightings of actual Blue Jays have been made in Stevens or Spokane Counties, or in North Idaho some where. But they are never in abundance and hard to locate. Three Blue Jays made a brief stop in Kettle Falls about 10 years ago, seen just outside of the Forest Service Ranger Station building. Another lone Blue Jay was seen at a feeder of east of Colville a few years back.
But something new is afoot. Several recent sightings of Blue Jays have been made in Stevens and Ferry Counties. A few weeks ago a couple of Blue Jays were spotted at a feeder in the Huckleberry Range off of Scott Road. More recently a couple were seen at a feeder in Ferry County, up in the Kettle River Valley. And today, today, I had one at my backyard feeder!
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| Blue Jay in Kettle Falls (through a living room window) |
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| Blue Jay inspecting suet a block |
Maybe this is the Year of the Jay! Both Steller's and Blue Jays seem to prefer large seeds, such as peanuts (unsalted, shelled or in the shell) and sunflower. They will also heavily use suet blocks that feature fruit and berries. Keeping a variety of feeders (Nijer thistle seed, sunflower, general mixes) and suet blocks is a sure fire way to attract birds when the cold and snow take over. Birds look for other birds feeding and are attracted to the sight and sound of birds darting in and out of the feeders and chattering excitedly. I'm sure that's how the Steller's and Blue Jays found my house, right in Kettle Falls.
Steller's Jays are seen fairly regularly in Stevens and Ferry Counties. The Washington Birder website shows them as "Common". The Blue Jay, however, is shown as 'Rare" in Stevens County (with 5 or more sightings on record) and "Rare w/ 5 or fewer sightings" in Ferry County. In recent years sightings of Blue Jays seem to be increasing in a westward direction form North Idaho into the far eastern edge of Washington. Seeing them now in the forests and valleys of NE Washington is not too surprising, then.
Keep an eye out for Blue Jays and let us know if you see any! Take pictures and share them with the group.
Good Birding,
- Hawkeye
