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Yvonne Merriam | all galleries >> Birds of the Eastern US >> Finches, Jays & Grosbeaks > Close Encounters of the Jay Kind
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MAR 2009 © YMerriam

Close Encounters of the Jay Kind

Oscar Scherer SP near Sarasota, FL

While hiking through the scrub brush of the Oscar Scherer S.P., we were lured into the brush off trail by an interesting bird sound. We stepped into a tiny opening to find we were surrounded by these comical Scrub Jays. I noted how close they were swooping past me, and just as the thought began to hatch in my mind, one especially confiding Jay landed squarely on top of my head! He stood there peering over my brow while we conversed for over 5 minutes. Finally, I moved my hand up thinking he just might climb up on it....only to receive a neat little nip by my knuckle! Obviously antagonized, he flew back to his spot in the brush and chided me for being impatient. Years ago I had a Cedar Waxwing rest on my pate while fishing the Seneca River, but this was an especially amazing introduction to this endemic Florida sub-species.

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Sigma APO EX DG 2x Teleconverter full exif

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