Okay, here we are, plunging into what is now officially Spring and yet I
have one normally routine yard bird species having gone and to date
remaining MIA. Where are the Steller's Jays??!!! Here in my Bellevue/Eastgate
yard (1 mi S of 90), I STILL have not detected a single Steller's Jay for the
year yet despite my really paying close careful attention every single day
this year, and as my growing 2013 yard year list has already climbed to 38
which is way ahead of last year, or any year, by this time!!! In all past
years, Steller's Jay is often among the first ten birds of the year on
January 1, and if not, very shortly thereafter. This year so far, I've
neither seen nor even heard one, ...not even way far off in the distance! Sooner
or later, one or a bunch will show up, but the continuing lack of such for
so long this year is quite unprecedented! It's not that they are not
around; just 3500 yards away as a Merlin flies, they're all over the place
every single time during my near-daily Lake Hills Greenbelt walks. Very very
strange indeed!

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA