scrub-jay ~ 06/07/11 ~ at home

western scrub-jay
Aphelocoma californica

Mom is apparently showing her young how to wait on our balcony and look into the windows to see if we're around to feed them peanuts. I posted pictures of mom and one of her young from May 29, 2011. I'm amazed at how big the juveniles have grown in 9 days. The tops of their heads are quickly getting more blue feathers. They're very curious and have checked out all my container plants and moved my decorative sea shells around. I worry they may fish for the Pacific chorus frog tadpoles I'm raising, which should have another 2 months before they metamorphose. I'm always very careful to not leave my caterpillars exposed when I change clippings; I've seen the jays enthusiastically eat insects.