Feathered Friends with tricky Feathers

Alex was kind enough to share this photo with us, taken when they were here two weekends ago. It's a beautiful study of a blue jay. We have an enormous flock -- probably nearly 40 birds -- hanging about this winter. When they descend on the bird feeders, it's just a blue blurr.

So, do jays stay with us all year round? Well, now, that is a mystery. Blue jays migrate. That is to say, some migrate... Some jays are present throughout the winter in all parts of their range. Some individual jays may migrate south in one year, stay north the next winter, and then migrate south again the next year. Why do they migrate when they do?

Which jays move and which stay put? Although young jays may be more likely to migrate than adults, many adults do migrate. And nobody knows for sure why they decide to stay or go...

We're glad some of them elect to stay, and brighten up our winter colours with their brilliant blue. But here's another blue jay conundrum: their feathers aren't actually blue. That is, the colour is not due to pigmentation in the feather, but rather to the way the feather refracts the light. That's why a jay feather won't fade in the sunlight. If you look a jay feather from the underside, it will be gray, even with light shining through it.

Wonderful creatures, these noisy, boisterous jays crowding about the feeders and shovelling in the sunflower seeds. All the more wonderful when you take that closer look.