gray jay

Just returned from an extended trip to West Coast and spent some time in Whistler, British Columbia. Loved it there by the way. Found that the Gray Jays there were the same as the ones that we see here in the east in the Adirondack Mountains and that they behave the same towards humans as ours...

A poor but passable photo of one of my first Gray Jays (lifer #351), part of a flock found in the forest east of Humboldt State University, near where I saw my first Pileated Woodpecker, as I birded there before class.

This playful Jay along with a few of his friends gave me many photo ops during a 30 min session in Algonquin Provincial Park

This is one of the young jays that came in for it's share of the peanuts. The young ones start off mostly gray and then start to get the white on breast and neck. This one still has gray around neck but has the white breast so is probably a little order but not adult yet.

Went up to Adirondack Mountains, about 2.5 hours north of where I live to look for Gray jays. I have been wanting to go there and find these birds for a couple of years now but never got around to it. These jays are big birds, probably about 1 1/2 inches bigger than a bluejay. There is a that...

This was obtained on a 13 km hike, although not at the furthest point.

I struggle every year to find this species in the woodsy sector that I cover for my local Christmas Bird Count. Most years I fail. I just happened to get this photo out west.

Gray Jays are not very timid birds around people and will readily steal food you may have just laying around your camp or lunch spot. On special occasions they will even take a food offering from an extended hand.

This curious Jay followed me as I walked along the highway, approaching a pair of White-winged Crossbills.

Taken last weekend. Don't see them around too often.

Spent a few hours trying to get some in flight shots of the Jays. I think the ratio of shots of a bird in the frame and in focus was about 100 to 1.

See these Jays only occasionally at the cabin. They have a very friendly face.

When this species was a lifer for me last year at Algonquin Park, I only saw two birds and two took photos. Today I visited Algonquin for the second time in my life, and I saw seven birds and took several photos. I am quite pleased with this image in particular!

This is another Gray Jay from earlier this year. You can't really see at this size, but the branch and lichen is covered in ice following a storm the previous night - it was very cold that morning! 1/100, f9, ISO 800, ~95% of frame.

I was up in Maine this weekend to photograph a sled-dog race. It was -5F (-20C) when I arrived at the start, but warmed up later in the day. Whilst waiting for the teams to pass one spot I spent a couple of hours photographing a pair of Gray Jays. Great birds, packed with personality and this...

I used my wife's camera and lens, since the bird was too close for my 400 f5.6 L.

Gray Jay in dying pine made for quite a contrast in morning light.

This one was posing for me for at least two minutes, before decided to go on Marienna's hand to collect the food he was offered. Marienna said he wanted to get acquainted with us first. She knows it better. They talk to each other all the time. It is true. Every time the birds fill up their...