Subject: scrub-jay in NE Seattle
Date: Sep 19 11:54:21 2003
From: Robert Sundstrom - ixoreus at scattercreek.com


Dennis, Ruth, Tweeters,

The chat about scrub-jays is intriguing. Western Scrub-Jays are thoroughly
entrenched in the Tenino area, seen all around town and the surrounding
non-forested areas. Apparently they were newcomers here 15 years ago. I
find them handsome and fascinating birds. Ruth mentioned putting out suet
now - our most regular visitors to a starling-proof suet feeder have been a
family of scrub-jays. This might be a good way to help keep them around.

The question is: just how much do you want to keep them around? They are,
it seems, both astute and determined nest predators of smaller birds,
although this is clearly not all they eat. A longer term resident of the
Tenino area has found them robbing both Chestnut-backed and Black-capped
chickadee nests, and others I know who have lived around scrub-jays in
Oregon tell similar stories. One watched over our occupied nest boxes with
great regularity. Areas like Seattle that already have a stunning crow
population may not benefit from another species that is relatively bold
around humans and preys in part on smaller nesting birds. This doesn't mean
I advocate trying to stop their population from spreading, but simply want
to raise this point of natural history.

Bob

Bob Sundstrom
ixoreus at scattercreek.com
Tenino, WA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ruth Sullivan" <godwit at worldnet.att.net>
To: <nettasmith at comcast.net>; <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2003 6:16 PM
Subject: Re: scrub-jay in NE Seattle


> Hi Dennis &Tweeters,
> We had two Scrub-jays on September the first flying over our house low,it
> looked as if there maybe landing on a tall fir tree,but flying in
direction
> Point Defiance.This is the first Scrub-Jay here in our area.
> I enjoying my Anna's Hummingbirds coming to the feeder now more often.We
> have one Adult male two immature males and one female.there could be
more.Is
> time to put the suet out soon.
>
> Cheers Ruth Sullivan
> Tacoma
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Netta Smith" <nettasmith at comcast.net>
> To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2003 3:03 PM
> Subject: scrub-jay in NE Seattle
>
>
> > Hello, tweets.
> >
> > I haven't been tuned in to the list, so maybe they are all over Seattle
> now,
> > but I was tickled to see a scrub-jay fly over NE 50th St. just east of
the
> > I-5 freeway at 2 pm today (9/18). First one I've seen in the northeast
> part
> > of Seattle, and only a few miles from my house!
> >
> > This is the time of year during which young birds are dispersing, so
even
> > resident species can turn up in new places. I'm glad some birds are on
the
> > move, as I have seen no migrant birds in my yard lately, even when I
stay
> > home for a day.
> >
> > Dennis Paulson
> > --
> > Netta Smith and Dennis Paulson
> > 1724 NE 98 St.
> > Seattle, WA 98115
> >
> >
>