> From: mechejmch at aol.com
>
> I'd like to have a dollar for every "Blue Jay" that's been?reported to our
> local sightings page or mentioned in casual conversations over the years
> here in the Pacific Northwest. It requires a good helping of "friendly
> dissuasion" to?inform/enlighten the observers about Steller's Jays.??
>
> What's in a?(bird) name?

Let's not get carried away here: actual honest-to-gosh Blue Jays are
regularly sighted hereabouts. There is apparently one resident near the Red
Hook brewpub in Woodinville, for instance.

My wife once had a "team-building exercise" which concluded with a few pints
at said brewpub, and called me up, freaking out in somewhat inebriated
tones, claiming that she'd heard a blue jay -- and then SEEN one. She was
convinced she was completely plotzed and wanted me to come pick her up (she
got a ride home in the event). But as readers of this list are aware, there
is a probable escapee blue jay living there. And haven't there been a few
other sightings around the Sound? I know scrub jays are commonly seen, and
that could also fool a non-birder.

But Joe's right; I can't count how many times people tell me about this
really black blue jay they saw.

As for the goshawk stuff, I find it best to ignore things I find silly,
rather than criticizing. This is probably in the hope that people will do
the same for me when _I_ post silly IDs and so forth.

-Josh Hayes, josh at blarg dot net