Years ago, I did an experiment.? I hung feeding stations made from gallon milk jugs and filled with dry dog food (I had seen Steller's jays eating out of dogs' dishes).? They were hung in such a way as to be inaccessible from the tree branch, to test the jays' problem-solving abilities.? Eventually, after a certain amount of trial and error, the jays figured out that they could hop onto the top of the jug, slide down its slippery surface, and catch the opening with their feet as they slid past it.
Jason HernandezBremerton (but the above occurred in Shelton)jason.hernandez74 at yahoo.com


Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 18:28:20 -0700From: Hank <hank.heiberg at gmail.com>
Subject: [Tweeters] A smart Steller's Jay at Lake Joy
To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Message-ID: <BED27F0A-0F14-4819-9D82-A78EA39A9B63 at gmail.com>
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There is a Steller's Jay in our yard that has discovered that if it sits on a particular forsythia branch, the branch lowers to the feeder providing a nice perch.? It has done this several times.? (Since I can't tell one Steller's Jay from the others, I suppose that more than one jay could be doing this.)

> Video:
>
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/15260109496/
>
Hank Heiberg
Lake Joy
Carnation, WA
hankdotheibergatgmaildotcom