As of today, Saturday, 23 October, 2004, there have been at least 137
different individual Blue Jays observed from 81 different and separate
locations throughout Idaho. As before, all of these reports are gleaned
from the IBLE, Inland-NW-Birders, and SWIBA listservs, as well as personal
e-mail and telephone communications. Areas from which there have been no
previous reports continue to be added to the overall distribution picture as
well as increases in numbers from areas providing earlier reports already
tallied. A particular effort has been made to avoid any possible
duplication of individual birds present at any location, preferring to
rather err on the side of caution and a more conservative view of totals
than adding up bigger, but possibly redundant numbers.

The number of sightings from Washington, Oregon, and Montana also continue
to increase, although apparently not at the same overall rate as in Idaho
(note that there are places, such as Kalispell, MT that have seen a
consistent and steady increase of birds over the past decade). Observations
from eastern Washington and western Montana are most frequent, a fact
consistant with the thesis that these birds are coming from the northern
subspecies Cyanocitta cristata bromia, although there is a report this week
from Riverton, Wyoming (10/16/04), which is in the west-central, Wind River
district of the state, where the active reporting observer states that this
is the first sighting of Blue Jay at his location in three years, and also a
probable report from the Portland area of Oregon (Clackamas). All pictures
submitted to me that are detailed enough and which I have been able to
carefully examine (including two from Montana) are consistant with C. c.
bromia. (See the Blue Jay pictures from Genesee, Latah County, Idaho of
October 16 at www.IdahoBirds.net for a good example of the distinguishing
features of C. c. bromia, as has been described in the first written piece
on this subject two weeks ago).

Looking further east, beyond our area of the country, South Dakota is
actually experiencing fewer Blue Jay reports than usual, while along the
East Coast there is a huge movement being noted in places like Cape May, New
Jersey and the Carolinas, both of which can be influenced by movements of C.
c. bromia, which is found coastally all the way from Newfoundland to
Virginia. Some have suggested that the birds are "moving south" because of
a very plentiful crop of acorns and other staple foods, but it is incorrect
to focus on what is happening at the bird's destination or potential over
wintering areas. Why? Because movement in response to food availability is
caused by conditions of supply in the species' breeding or normal over
wintering areas.

[IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that we continue to carefully and closely monitor both
the movement and intensity of this invasion of Blue Jays. Please continue
to send any and all pictures you may take of birds to me for examination,
and also post and/or send me records of continuing birds as well as any new
sightings. As the season continues I will regularly update this information
and also look more specifically at what is happening in surrounding states.]


Harry Krueger
Boise, ID
208-407-2786
hkrueger at cableone.net