On Wed, 27 Sep 1995, Eugene Hunn wrote:

> I recall having read somewhere (... the definitive authority!) that Gray
> Jays stored fat not on their persons but in caches in the ground, etc.,
> to which they returned in the winter. Nutcrackers apparently store seeds
> likewise. Do Steller's Jays also? Is there anything special then about
> Gray Jay food storage behaviors?
>

I had the opportunity to work on Bill Twiet's house down in Olympia
during the frist part of this month and the end of last month. About a
block away from his house was a large chestnut tree. This tree attracted the
largest
concentration of Steller's Jay's in the Universe. There was hardly a
moment in the day that I could not look up and see at least one (usually
three or four) Steller's Jay flying over with a large yellow chestnut in
its bill.

On occasion, I would see one fly into the shrubbery beneath me with a
chestnut in its bill and a moment later fly out without it. Their
behavior while doing this was very stealth like (very quite and secertive).
While never seeing one actually bury a nut, I assumed from their behavior
and the fact that they were carrying nuts over head all day and could not
possibly eat that many chestnuts, that they were caching food.

Russell Rogers
4510 Glenn Way SW
Seattle, Washington 98116
(206) 935-6280
rrogers at halcyon.com