On the subject of the "C3" problem, Crows + Cats + Cowbirds, we might have to
add the "J" problem, resulting in "C3J":

This morning, for example, from my bedroom window I watched two Rufous
Hummingbirds harrassing a Steller's Jay. They were really intense, and I'm
certain the jay was near their nest. The jay disappeared into some trees and
immediately emerged with something light colored in its bill, the hummers in
full pursuit. They continued the chase until all of them disappeared into the
woods.

Did the jay have a fledgling hummer, a hummer egg (pretty small), or had it
simply found something else and the whole thing was a coincidence?

In any case, having watched the various jay species at work in many areas of the
country, I suspect they kill far more birds (including those in the egg stage)
than we realize. On the other hand, they are more "natural" predators -- man's
activities have increased the crow populations tremendously, opened up nesting
habitat to cowbirds, and inserted pet and feral cats into the formula. I don't
think we have increased jay populations that much.

If we include birds in the egg stage, what are the odds that jays kill more
songbirds than raptors? I'll bet that's an easy one to answer, considering the
relative populations of accipiters and jays. Removing eggs from the formula...
????

Somebody asked for stories about crows getting fledglings: a few years ago, I
spent a half hour sitting on a log in Yellowstone watching a pair of crows
trying to get to three (+?) fledged Robins that were hiding under a downed tree.
The Robin parents were raising absolute verbal hell, but would not get close to
the crows. The fledglings were making distress sounds. The crows picked away at
the situation for the entire time, but would not crawl in among the tree
branches to get to the fledglings, even though they could have easily. I suspect
they were afraid to get into a confining area with the parents around.
Eventually, I played God and chased the crows off (for a while?).

Jerry


E-mail from: Jerry Blinn, 02-Jul-1996