The Chatter Of Baby Scrub Jays Talking To Themselves

Scrub Jay parent takes a brief break from the labor of opening a peanut.

Lately the Scrub Jays have been very busy in the hedge just outside my bedroom window. The parents stash the 3 babies there during the day, and travel back to deliver food. The three baby Scrub Jays, still downy, but all able to fly these days, huddle next to each other on a branch. I'm slowly figuring out their geography. My hedge is mostly the Morning Feeding Spot. Judging from the anti-feline cacophony yesterday afternoon, when a cat crossed the street, the late afternoon spot is three houses down the street.

My baby Scrub Jays are learning early the proper deference and respect for the human race. My back yard's gate is directly beneath their favorite resting perch. As I left the yard this morning I couldn't help but disturb them, as I was only 4 or 5 feet beneath them. So, as I passed under, all 3 shit in unison.

I think they are more annoyed than panicked. They've seen me before. I move slowly, predictably, and don't stare (birds get flummoxed by human raptor-like stare). Still, when I returned, a parent hopped across my field of view when I passed closest to babies, to distract in the event I meant harm. They react to humans much different than to cats: we're the lesser danger.