Comments

  1. rq says

    Love these birds. Ours seem to have slightly different facial markings, probably a regional difference. That blue, though!

  2. says

    @rq, there are several subspecies across Eurasia.
    Interesting thing though -- I initially thought that this is the same bird, but I think those are at least two, maybe even three different individuals. Like all corvids they are quite intelligent and I would not be at all suprised if they were self-aware and cabable of facial recognition.
    Those tiny brigh blue feathers are the most prized possessions one can acquire in the forest during mushroom hunting. Unfortunately they are really tiny and get lost again soon :) (note: in Europe, unlike in US, it is legal to posess feathers of local and migratory birds).

  3. says

    Giliell:

    They are known here as the “guardians of the forest” as they are very careful birds and warn loudly when there’s predators.

    Oh, that’s lovely! That suits ours, too, although they are very vocal to begin with.

  4. says

    @Giliell, here they are known as forest guardians too. They make quite a noise when they spot humans in the forest. We even have a fairy-tale tv series about Rüberzahl and his jay who reports to him miscreants in the mountains.

    I guess I am lucky, because they do not seem to be shy around our house at all. At least three individuals visit regularly, almost daily. And it is due to them that I am finding oak seedlings throughout the garden all year round. They are quite happy to sit on the feeder and as long as the window is closed, they do not flee.

  5. blf says

    Those appear to be trainer puppets for small ratlings. After soloing, the interior rat moves usually starts operating other puppets, or goes for advanced training.

  6. rq says

    Charly
    They don’t seem particularly shy here, either. There’s a breeding couple that lives in the neighbours’ spruce, they’re often in our yard sending the smaller birds away from the feeder.

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