Western Scrub-Jay With Two Peanuts - Buridan's Ass Paradox, In Practice

Buridan's Ass Paradox:

It refers to a hypothetical situation wherein an ass that is equally hungry and thirsty is placed precisely midway between a stack of hay and a pail of water. Since the paradox assumes the ass will always go to whichever is closer, it will die of both hunger and thirst since it cannot make any rational decision to choose one over the other.  The paradox is named after the 14th century French philosopher Jean Buridan, whose philosophy of moral determinism it satirizes. A common variant of the paradox substitutes two identical piles of hay for the hay and water; the ass, unable to choose between the two, dies of hunger.

I don't know if the paradox quite applies here. The bird seems to choose the tougher nut first - likelier to be the better one.

In any event regarding my Scrub Jays, last night, the two missing Scrub Jays appeared to have joined the third. Their parents were using the more-or-less enclosed space of my yard for flying lessons. Then they abruptly vanished. At least one returned this morning. I don't know where they go. They are doing what they can to keep a low profile and escape attention. A wise move, in general, for what may be a rather large family.

West Nile virus seems to have decimated the local population of Scrub Jays over the last few years. It's time to repopulate the area with Scrub Jays.