This morning, I heard a loud thump against our living room window, and thinking that some poor innocent little bird had accidentally hurt itself, I rushed to look out. I was wrong. It was a huge blue jay, its feathers a bit ruffled, clutching some unidentifiable small mammal in its claws. It saw me and flew off into the trees across the road with its victim.
That and all the loud singing and whistling and cooing outside my bedroom window every morning at 5am is getting to be a bit much. Don’t these dinosaurs know they’re supposed to be extinctified?
Hey, PZ! You could be happy that they aren’t church bells at least.
Well, it is the first of May…you know what that means.
It’s baby making time! Lots of hungry dinos roaming about.
As far as birds go, it could be worse. Ever hear of the movie ‘Birdemic’? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrxZblVUkMU
The birds are turning socialist?
Putting out peanuts will reduce the chance of a blue jay eating creatures. Blue jays love peanuts.
Timgueguen:
I can testify, yes, they do. Love is an understatement. They will also happily accept many other nuts, almonds, pecans, and walnuts are faves with my large Scream. This will not stop them from nabbing a tasty frog or other little critter, though.
Frankly, I’m happy to see a bluejay back around. They did go regionally extinct in PA, courtesy of west nile virus, when it first spread in PA.
First, the ravens rebounded, then the bluejays started to rebound again. Just as I predicted. As a fictional mathematician once said, “Life finds a way”, or more accurately, the adaptive immune system finds a way.
[T]he birds are getting feisty — looks at the mildly deranged penguin, currently asleep, snoring, padding around in a barrel of port, and eating cheese on autopilot. Possibly. For certain values of “fesity”.
How does it go…
First they came for the cats, and I didn’t say anything, because I wasn’t a cat
Then they came for the small unidentified mammals, and I didn’t say anything, because I wasn’t a small unidentified mammal.
Then they came for me….
@laurentweppe
I believe the first of May reference was to Jonathan Coulton’s song. Google:
Jonathan Coulton First of May Youtube
NOT SAFE FOR WORK
Which birds are innocent and which are not?
If the corvids are not innocent, is it because they are smarter than the average bird, and must have tasted of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Or is it simply because they are loud and obnoxious?
If the small mammal was one of those yappy little canines, good on ya bird! (But I’m guessing a rodent without more information.)
Here in South Texas, the aggravating birds are the grackles. They are loud, raucous and carry on their mating dances in our front yard. My three cats, who are never, ever allowed outside, sit at the windows, watching with fascination.
I’m glad that mating season is over around here for this year. Now that they are busy with their hatchlings, the grackles are much quieter.
for some years I liked to place high off the ground old worn out string mop heads. I was great fun watching the different birds come and get nest material, even had some doves both species from around here. The funniest were the sparrows who had little patience or understanding of how the mop heads worked but would attempt to fly off with a bundle while it was still attached they did not give up however over and over they would go until some would would come away and they would disappear! That was when I had dogs but all the dogs have died and now I have a cat who can not seem to grasp consistently how a cat box works so he has to go outside hence not so many birds though not many rodents but I now get lots of possum and raccoons and now I “run into” skunks. The raccoons are very destructive as are the possums I have to keep my fish tanks covered with unsightly chain link they tear anything lighter up.
I would kind of like to get a new dog for the birds and no varments but not sure how to go about introducing the dog and the cat?
uncle frogy
unclefrogy
have a *hug*
i want a cat
Saw a rather large red-tailed hawk on the ground Saturday. Was a bit worried until I got closer and she flew off with a squirrel dangling underneath.
Mating season makes us all cranky.