Outdoor Ontario
Birding Reports => Backyard Birding => Topic started by: Fresh13 on September 25, 2012, 07:39:12 PM
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Hi all,
I'm new to the board and new to birding (2yrs or so).
Thought I'd share, what for me at least is, a unique experience.
So for about 2 years now I've been throwing seed and in-shell peanuts
Off our 2nd floor balcony in NE Scarborough. It's a very popular site, home to
home to many resident doves and sparrows. We also get large groups 20+ of
grackles, a few cardinals, red-winged blackbirds, etc. All summer we've had
3-4 Blue Jays as well. Not to mention about 12 squirrels, 2 of the
loudest chipmunks you've ever heard, and 2-8 nocturnal raccoons. So popular that
We've been lucky enough to have witnessed the Scarborough Peregrines
on a few occassions try to clumsily snatch some of the bids and squirrels after a short
take-off from the trees.
Anyhow, I woke up this morning to find at least 30 Blue Jays feeding outside
my balcony! I included a picture that fails do to justice to
the actual number of them. Imagine 3 trees about
12 feet to the side of the balcony with 8-10 blue jays in each in
addition to the party on the ground and even more
unseen in further trees or bushes. It was like a techni-colour Hitchcock
Film! I first noticed them at 9am and they're still there
now at 6pm. I must have given them 10+ cups of seed and nuts at least!
And they're still eating! They haven't stopped.
Anyone know what's going on here? Are these the
neighbourhood adults with their juveniles or a group passing through
on migration? Any idea of how long they might stick around? I might have to
slow down on the seed if they're gonna be around longer than a few days.
Thanks!
[attachment=0:267u17hv]image.jpg[/attachment:267u17hv]
Chris
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It's the big migration time for Blue Jays now. At the hawk watch sites many thousand pass by every day now.
/Thomas
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Hi Chris. Welcome to the forum. Cool photo! 8)