Bryan Gates wrote:

>Again this year, Steller's Jays are appearing in the residential areas of
>southern Vancouver Island, but by no means in the numbers that we experienced
>in 92-93. Some of you will recall my earlier posting on this, but it is
>worth repeating; on one occasion that year at least 200 jays were counted
>by a reputable observer as they flew into a small copse of trees at Ten Mile
>Point in Saanich, where nesting by this species is very rare. Later, they
>were observed as they made efforts to cross Haro Strait to San Juan Island.
>They were unsuccessful initially, but may have succeeded later.

One of the most characteristic things about jay dispersal (migration?) is
their unwillingness to cross large bodies of water. I've seen them at the
southern end of the trees on Ocean Shores on a number of occasions in
September. They actually fly out over the open country (by the marina)
for a hundred meters or so, then turn around and fly back to the trees. I
don't think they would cross Grays Harbor at its mouth. You see them
flying along the shore in many areas, and they finally get to a point
pointing in the direction they are heading and accumulate there.
Similarly, one spring I saw many jays flying north through the trees on the
base of Leadbetter Point, again stopped at the northern extent of the
alders. This was really amazing to me, as I'd never had any idea there was
a spring jay flight, and I haven't seen one since. But that seems to imply
something other than simple autumn dispersal of immatures.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416