Blue jay

More critters today, this time the feathered kind.  I figured that after my airy fairy post two days ago emphasising uncertainty that we could do with some certainty to balance things out.  And there is nothing uncertain about these critters - they are definitely here.

I was about to add that they are as delightful as they seem, which is generally true, but in fact my subject today does have some less delightful traits.  Here is a blue jay that visited after lunch.

Blue jays are stunning, but they also terrorise other birds.  They're cowards, though - you wouldn't believe how hard it was to get these pictures because they can see me through the window and don't land if I'm near.  Today, though, I was wearing neutral colours and standing still, and the temptation of peanuts was just too much for this one.

Even so, this is the only picture I got of it standing still, all the rest are action shots.  If you can stand a little blurriness here is a picture that shows off the plumage a bit better.

They're quite big, about thirty centimetres long.  And they are very common in this part of the country.  I don't think there is another bird I see quite so much of all year round.

Next time, more chipmunk pictures, including some shocking ones showing that he, too, can be less than delightful.