Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!think!ames!amdahl!pyramid!voder!blia!heather
From: heather@blia.BLI.COM (Heather Mackinnon)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Stellars Jays
Message-ID: <4680@blia.BLI.COM>
Date: 16 May 88 21:44:25 GMT
References: <3355@sequent.UUCP>
Organization: Britton Lee, Los Gatos, CA
Lines: 26

In article <3355@sequent.UUCP>, brian@sequent.UUCP (Brian Godfrey) writes:
> 
>    I would like to remove the
>    branch so I can see the birds better, especially after they hatch, 
>    but I don't want to scare them away. I was wondering; do they really
>    leave the nest unattended from time to time or am I just not able to
>    see them at times? (They could scrunch down or re-orient themselves 
>    and be hidden behind the branch.) If they do take off for a while and
>    I go up to cut the branch will they be close enough to freak out or
>    do they range pretty far? 

I've had the opportunity (some might call it misfortune) to live in Stellar
jay territory for many years.  They're pretty fearless; careful removal of
the branch should cause no permanent problems.  I've observed both parents
leaving the nest site for short times, but this was after the hungry nestlings
were already on the scene.  I don't think they range very far, particularly
in cosmopolitan areas.

The Stellar's jays in our area terrorize our cats and steal their food.
They are very good mimics;  some of them can cry just like a red-tailed
hawk.

As you can probably tell, I'm not that fond of Stellar's jays.  Good luck
with your observations.

Heather Mackinnon