Chipmunk and Red Squirrel enjoy a Backyard Peanut Picnic set to an upbeat foot-tapping march. Red Squirrel was a little late to the party. The least I could do for the Furry Backyard Friends on this Independence Day.
A Blue Jay in Smoky Mountains who has never seen peanuts looks quizzically at them and does not know what to do with them until the always savvy Tufted Titmouse shows it the way. A Florida Jay would have had all four peanuts to itself in short order, but in the high dense forest at 4000 feet I've noticed Blue Jays are rare and dare I say a bit "shy". They even make different calls than in Florida, sort of pensive lonely calls as in this video clip: Blue Jays unusual call
Trained a Blue Jay to eat peanuts from my hand! As with any training, it helps if you have a motivated pupil to achieve success. I've often noticed that one member of a particular species will bond with humans and seem to develop a "deeper" relationship. Of course this usually involves food, and no doubt the balance between a self preservation instinct of avoiding humans and the easy availability of healthy food requires a risk analyses that the most intelligent and savvy are most likely to perform. I'm sure it wasn't my magnetic personality that sealed the deal - in any case we have a win-win relationship. Often the jay will make a very unique call when I approach with peanuts and also a characteristic two beak knocks on wood - that means - Peanut Now!. The preferred method by the Jay is to simply be handed a peanut, if I hold my open hand out it will fly to it. Next on to the Brown Thrasher who is starting to get jealous! Filmed with a cell phone which has advantages for one hand close up work and depth of field but can be a little shaky at times.
Cute squirrel juggles peanuts - its nesting season and if the squirrels can't learn to carry more than one peanut at a time to the nest the Blue Jays will have them. Our blue jays are actually bigger than some of the squirrels and definitely tougher and to be feared! Perseverance pays off in the end! Filmed with a cell phone.
Gradually "trained" them to come out in the open to an open hand after bringing the peanuts close to cover initially. I now have them coming to me to eat at a window in somewhat of an orderly fashion. They are not too concerned about how much skin they get with the peanut as they are not ones to dilly-dally in an open hand! Trust only goes so far. The ubiquitous Blue Jay is taken for granted, but up close and personal they are strong, athletic mini-predators that can take out a lizard, small snake - or a peanut in the blink of an eye and they are the watchdogs of the backyard!
The narrative on the video tells the story. I trained a Blue Jay to eat peanuts from my hand - not just any peanuts, but healthy roasted and unsalted ones that I should be eating myself. Of course it's always nice to gain the trust of a wild animal, it is good for their survival that they have a natural wariness. But then it occurred to me that I was the one that had been "trained" to give the Jay a tasty peanut - and on its conditions. I'm not falling for that anymore, it has to come to me! We'll see who wins this battle of willpower? These are huge Blue Jays, it just may be that the Jay is too big to land on my hand and bend and easily get a peanut.
