Hello Russell,
I also had an experience with the Gray Jays in Kitsap Co.
Two years ago as i fanatic looking for Dragonflies in Kitsap county,i came
to a smal lake call Wick's Lake on Wick's Lake Road.This place is close to
the South Port Orchard Airport.
As i loocked on the lake edges for Dragonflies,i heard some strange noice
over my head in the tall fir trees.To my surprised there where six Gray Jays
sitting in this trees.As there saw me there was flying around me,proable
wanting food.I was the only person there,this place is realy kind of hidden
on a dead end.This birds stayed to i left,and than followed me as i was
going to my car.All six birds was landing on top of my car this looking.I
stayed for a while,but when i started up the motor,all six birds flew back
in to the trees.I was thinking this would be pretty rare to see this Jays on
this location,but my son Patrick told me that there is nothing rare about
this sighting on this location.I wrote many messages up in this
area,finding the Goshawk and many Dragonflies,but i was not mention this
Jays to you bringing this up,i was reminded of the incident two years ago.I
also went there many times and never run in to this Gray Jays again.

Ruth Sullivan
Tacoma
----- Original Message -----
From: "Russell Rogers" <rrogers at olypen.com>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 8:08 AM
Subject: Gray Jays/Mt Walker, Jefferson Co.


> Just about everyone, birder and non-birder alike, has experianced just
> how tame Gray Jays can be. If you have ever had a picnic lunch at Mt
> Rainier you surely had to gaurd you PB&J with one hand while eating it
> with the other. Well, what happend to me on Tuesday (5/7) was just silly.
>
> After work, I thought that I would drive to the top of Mount Walker to
> check out the view. At the first (only) over look on the way up. I
> stopped and got out of the car. In the tree and on the ground in front
> of me were 12-15 Gray Jays. They hopped around on the ground 4-5 feet in
> front of me. One of them made a strange alarm call and they all flew up
> into the tree. After a few monments of them looking at me and me looking
> at them, I had a strange notion to hold my arm out to the side, just to
> see if they would move or do something. Much to my suprise, one flew
> over and landed on my index finger. After seeing this, three of his
> buddies did like wise and flew over and landed on my arm. Thinking that
> was pretty neat, I held out my other arm. Four more jays few over and
> landed on that arm. A ninth bird, few over and landed on my head. These
> birds did not make a sound or do any thing but quitely sitting on my
> arms and head. I did not lure them over with food, just a nice place to
> sit.
>
> I held my arms up as long as I could. As lowered my arms and the birds
> flew back to the tree and resumed looking at me. The next day, I dragged
> my 3 year old daughter up the mountian to see I the birds would do it
> again, but, as you might guess, I could not find any jays at all.
>
> Russell
>
>
>
> --
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> Russell Rogers
> 219 South 2nd Ave
> Sequim WA 98382
> (360) 582-3781
> mailto:rrogers at olypen.com
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> Russell Rogers
> Fish and Wildlife Biologist
> Point Whitney Shellfish Laboratory
> Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
> 1000 Point Whitney Road
> Brinnon WA 98320
> (360) 586-1498 ex 221
> mailto:rogerrer at dfw.wa.gov
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>