Holler Blues~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES

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All Holler critters are ecstatic drought is done!
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California Scrub Jay is normally quite shy.
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But winter drought seed shortages,
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draw him close for Holler hand-outs!
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Giving us an up-close glimpse,
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of happy winter blues!
Cheers to you from The Holler’s joyful jays~

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288 thoughts on “Holler Blues~”

  8. I don’t know nothing about birds, apart from the supposed fact that some birds fly while others mostly tend to float. This bird in your pictures however is truly beautiful with his blue coat. He (?) looks like a master of ceremonies at a wedding. All is going well, but where is the bride…. 🙂

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    1. Lucky you! Are they western scrub jays? I think the reason ours may be so shy is because they live in The Holler’s oak groves and are inundated with nuts and seeds to eat.. The drought reduced the availability, so they are finally willing to feed at the Holler bird feeders.

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  12. I’ve noticed that the birds have pecked all the pyracantha berries down to the last one, and seem to be going after any fruit left on the trees. I swore I wouldn’t buy more bird seed in this new house, but I’ve relented. None of it has gone to waste here in the new house, that’s for sure.
    ps……… your photographs are just so beautiful.

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    1. Yes, I have seen them do this too! We have lots and lots of unpicked pomegranates in our orchard and this usually feeds the birds all winter, but not this year, causing even the jays to come to the Holler feeders. I am glad you are putting out seed~ <3

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  21. I am very happy too for all the little ‘tweeters’ who now don’t have to fly elsewhere to look for water and vegetation, etc. to eat on. May they all be blessed with sweet treats and all mother nature has in abundance for them. 🙂

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  23. The scrub jays up here in the pacific northwest look similar, but have more grey on their undersides. They rule over other local birds, including their Steller’s jay relatives, but not our resident crows. I heard people can train them to eat peanuts out of their hands.

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  25. You certainly captured images that reflect a certain assertive mindset they have here. When it comes to going out and getting food, they look like they mean business! That look in their eyes!

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    1. I know! They are just awesome.
      Essentially they want little to do with me.
      Sometimes they will pop over to our actual house to watch what all the other birds are doing at our various feeding stations, but they remain elusive.
      I got a few good shots over the nine years I’ve lived here!
      We have several large oak groves on our property and the western bluebirds, several sub-types of woodpeckers (including a really rare type), other rare and exotic local birds, and the scrub jays, tend to hang in these groves.
      I wear snake books, have chairs permanently in place for observation, but am basically unsuccessful at capturing any really good photo.
      It is still amazingly fun to watch them though!
      Birds, as you and I know, are wonderful!
      Hugs to you dear Lyn, lots of them~ <3

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  35. How wonderful for everyone that the drought has broken. It will be interesting to see if the blue jay keeps coming out of habit or will revert to seclusion.

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            1. If you live in a thatched house, I am jealous. Here is one of my favorite homes:
              https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.savills.com%2Fcontent%2Fassets%2Fproperties%2Fgbtwrstus100341%2FTUS100341_02_gal.JPG&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.savills.com%2Fproperty-detail%2Fgbtwrstus100341&docid=FXMLYAbBU1tKiM&tbnid=ywacTy7EO0lDxM%3A&vet=1&w=1440&h=894&bih=667&biw=1390&q=cotchford%20farm&ved=0ahUKEwjF3u_GkcDSAhWFWCYKHSfAD3wQMwgsKAYwBg&iact=mrc&uact=8#h=894&imgrc=ywacTy7EO0lDxM:&vet=1&w=1440
              It was AA Milne’s house…..

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              1. I don’t but there are plenty around here. One of the pubs has a spectacular thatched roof.
                I rather expected AA Milnes’s house to be thatched. Another illusion shattered.

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                1. No illusion shattered thank goodness, wise man. It was originally thatched. Of course it had to be! It is how I imagine it as well. Note reference:
                  “Cotchford Farm is a farmhouse building to the southwest of the village of Hartfield, East Sussex, it was originally built with wattle and daub infilled walls and a thatched roof, but … Milne wrote all of his Winnie-the-Pooh books at the house, often inspired by the local landscape, and died at Cotchford Farm in 1956.”
                  Wiki

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                  1. ‘…it was originally built with wattle and daub infilled walls and a thatched roof…’ Now it’s brick and slate. It’s a bit like that guy who’s had the same broom for 35 years. It’s had three new heads and two new handles.

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  39. Really stunning captures. I think sometimes we take for granted the beauty around us. This reminds viewers to be still a while and notice again.

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    1. He does have oodles of personality doesn’t he! They have excellent senses of humor and are so much fun to watch. Thank you for your thoughtfulness Teagan and hugs back to you~

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