All, I'm not sure that we should consider these Blue Jay movements as migratory which to me implies [seasonal] regular movements between two geographically separate areas. Do Blue Jays make extended movements after the breeding season on a regular [seasonal] basis? I think not. Rather, I think these movements represent reaction to food supplies - or lack thereof. Keith Arnold Professor Emeritus Texas A&M University On Wed, Oct 30, 2013 at 8:02 PM, Susan Schaezler <warblerwoods@xxxxxxxxx>wrote: > We have also been invaded by them > > Susan Schaezler > Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary > 501(c)(3) Cibolo/Schertz > Texas Land Steward Winner > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Oct 30, 2013, at 7:06 PM, Stenmead@xxxxxxx wrote: > > > > Joe and All, > > > > During the summer months I saw few if any Blue Jays. Then about 3 weeks > > ago I counted 30 flying south to north through the neithborhood in one > big > > flock. The next day there were about 10 at the feeder and bird bath, > all > > carrying on. There have been three only in my yard for the last 10 > days. > > > > My questions are: where are the "migrating/flying" from and too? Where > > have they been all summer? > > > > Stennie Meadours > > San Leon > > > > > > In a message dated 10/30/2013 9:01:39 A.M. Central Daylight Time, > > josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx writes: > > Blue jays continue to add life and mystery to the back yard. While 2 > > family > > groups of jays summered nearby compared to the 5 or 6 groups normally > > present until the bad west nile a couple of years ago, they did not do > well > > with young. The alarm jay which was the only survivor of the breeding > birds > > close by continues with one group but still is not integrated. It is > also > > the only bird that imitates hawks on approaching the balcony. > > I have seen or heard no migrant jays this fall although there have been > > more at Smith Point than in any year I have been there. Normally the > local > > birds serenade migrants following the bayou to make sure they do not > tarry. > > > > Also, I have seen no comments on texbirds or elsewhere about jay > > migrations. It seems that it would be a migration year of some local > birds > > as last year was an enormous acorn year and this year is a bad year. I > have > > not seen my jays carrying any acorns back home yet this fall. > > > > Has anyone seen migrant jays in numbers anywhere around. > > > > Crows are another bird that vanished with west nile locally. One and > maybe > > 2 birds were around a little last winter but vanished come spring. I did > > not have crows until a couple of weeks ago when a crow wave went over > one > > morning but did not linger. I have heard a couple birds in late evening > > since that flight. > > > > Yesterday while making groceries, a large group of crows gathered on a > > nearby office building in early afternoon. More birds joined them as I > was > > leaving the parking lot but lots of horn honking at somebody stopped my > > count. But there have been no crows in that area for several years. They > > appear to be urban acclimated so came from a town environment. > > > > The red-bellied woodpeckers raised no young here this summer and one of > the > > 3 regular pairs vanished in mid-summer. > > > > Also, the cardinals raised no local young but some fully grown and > molting > > birds arrived at the feeders after the breeding season. Most of them > have > > moved on temporarily with the ripening of the ragweed and will be back > in > > December. > > > > House finches did well and left for the ragweed feast in early October. > > However some birds showed up again but based on plumage, they were not > the > > birds that left nor birds that had been around all summer. They just > moved > > out in the last couple of days. > > > > And Carolina wrens had almost no young except for a possible very late > > brood which did not stay around with the parents so may have been lost. > > > > House sparrows had a banner year with several broods for each female and > > are not going anywhere. The common grackles were absent all summer for > the > > first time but a couple of birds are now around and have not joined the > > fall flocks which are also absent in the absence of acorns. Great-tailed > > grackles never repopulated a traditional corner after west nile. But > there > > have been no starlings or cowbirds all summer which makes up for the > > grackle loss. > > > > Chickadees and titmice did well with youngsters but appear to be having > a > > shortage of natural food right now and are ravenous at the feeders all > day. > > The wintering Wilson's warbler showed up on schedule, attracted some > > friends but they did not stay after several days. Lack of spiders around > > the balconies and windows did not really keep them around. The Wilson's > > warbler is my current mixed species flock around the house. Have heard a > > ruby-crowned kinglet so the flock may increase with the next front. > > > > -- > > Joseph C. Kennedy > > on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston > > Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx > > > > > > Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at > > //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds > > > > Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking > > permission > > from the List Owner > > > > > > > > > > Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at > > //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds > > > > Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking > permission > > from the List Owner > > > > > Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at > //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds > > Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission > from the List Owner > > > Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner