[Birdtalk] Watch for Pinyon Jays

[M. H. Wallace]

On the look-out for Pinyon Jays.
For everyone's interest, see also:
UtahBirds.org Photos - 
http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/BirdsL-R/PinyonJay.htm
UtahBirds.org  - 
http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/PhotoGallery.htm#Jays with links to 
profile and song.  (Don't forget about this cool resource at Utah Birds.)

Happy birding,

Matthew.

Kristin Purdy wrote:
> I've recently seen or heard of Pinyon Jay observations that may 
> indicate a failure of the pinyon pine seed crop and a subsequent jay 
> irruption. On Sunday during the Ogden Valley UOS field trip, Eric 
> Huish exclaimed, "I hear a Pinyon Jay!". Eric and the rest of us spun 
> around and scanned the sky to see two Pinyon Jays flying across SR-39 
> from The North Arm Natural Area and headed up the mountain 
> maple-covered slope. This is a very odd place for Pinyon Jays. Not 
> only is Ogden Valley dominated by riparian habitat due to the four 
> forks of the Ogden River and also Pineview Reservoir, but maple is not 
> the bird's preferred habitat. Thanks to Eric for this find.
>
> Arnold Smith told me he and one of his sons have recently seen Pinyon 
> Jays in Croydon and another location in Morgan County. Morgan County 
> has a lot more pinyon-juniper habitat than does Weber, but I take the 
> two sightings as data points, just as our birding community noted the 
> early appearance of Red-breasted Nuthatches in low elevations last 
> year as a harbinger of the winter's down slope mountain bird movement.
>
> I encourage everyone to report their Pinyon Jay observations, 
> especially those that seem wide-ranging away from pinyon-juniper 
> habitat. Perhaps our collective observations will tell a tale about 
> the status of winter food resources.
>
> Kris
>
> _______________________________________________
> Birdtalk mailing list
> Birdtalk at utahbirds.org
> http://utahbirds.org/mailman/listinfo/birdtalk
>
>