The Wrong Jays and No Owl

I took this photo quickly to be sure this was a California Scrub-jay and not the Blue Jay we were hoping to see, but it's always great to get photo freezing a bird in flight. Note the flight feather wear. This bird will molt in a couple of months, growing all new feathers.

Today I got out birding in the morning with Marcus Roening, and once again tried for the Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata in Gig Harbor, and then walked around the Tacoma Nature Center hoping to find a Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus. It was a beautiful morning, and as on past tries for the jay, there were lots of Stellar’s Jays Cyanocitta stelleri, this time two California Scrub Jays Aphelocoma californica, but no Blue Jay. We also saw other typical species of the Pacific
This is the California Scrub Jay where you can see the bird resting and note the field marks.

On the walk around Snake Lake at the Tacoma Nature Center we again found a good mix of common birds, and there were lots of breeding birds singing, so many more were heard than seen. A Hutton’s Vireo Vireo huttoni was still singing, seeming late in the year for this bird to still be vocal, but alas no owls.

We did get to see several Red-eared Sliders Trachemys scripta elegans at Snake Lake pulled out to sunbathe.

Tomorrow I’m helping with a Tacoma 4th grade class on a trip to Titlow Park as a part of their unit of birds, and then heading easy with Ken Brown, looking for species we’ve missed on earlier trips, and camping out hoping to find Common Poorwill Phalaenoptilus nuttallii and owls at night. Wish us luck. Until next time.

Good birding. Steem on!