Despite them not being very colorful or them being the most common woodpecker at the suet, I shouldn't leave them out. Maybe it's the confusing name. Red Bellied
Life and death! Life: I stuck my phone in the bluebird box and snapped this picture. I've seen bluebirds going in and out so I'm assuming I had the flash set to high and it washed out the colors, but I'm not sure about the specks on the egg. Death: This was under the feeders today. One feather looks like maybe a bluejay with a white tip but I fairly certain it's not one of my bluebirds.
Only two I know that lay eags in others nests are bluejays and cowbirds. If the box is designed for bluebirds then I'd bet the hole is too small for bluejays to fit.
Some sources say that a subset of bluebird egss can be speckled. Also, indigo bunting eggs are speckled and about the same size. Those do look like they could be another bird's eggs, but it seems to me that at least some bluebird eggs should be mixed in. I guess it is a wait and see moment.
A quick Internet search shows you were probably right in never hearing that. Not sure where I heard/read it. I still don't like those loud mouths. EDIT: maybe I got it mixed up with them eating other birds eggs. Do Blue Jays Eat Other Birds Eggs? Discover the Surprising Truth | Nest Quests
We seem to have a larger population of those "thuggish" bluejays thus year. And yes, noisy in an annoying way.
This is going to be a massive migration night now that the winds are turning out of the southwest. This is the bird cast estimate for 3 hours after sunset. Based on the winds 1,000 to 3,000 feet above the ground, the peak of the migration will likely be around midnight to 2am, and seeing 400-500 million birds in flight around that time is a very good possibility. That is more birds in the air than humans on the ground across the US.
I am probably in the minority as I like bluejays. Yes, they can be noisy, but they also stand as lookouts for other birds and wildlife against predators. They are fun to listen to as they call out to their brethren when they see my refill the bird feeder. Or, if they are calling out at other times, I know to look around for the neighbor's cat, hawks or even people walking their dogs down the street. Yes, they are opportunistic, but much like coyotes and buzzards, they are part of the natural cycle and play clean up crew a lot of the times. They are colorful and will stand up to the mobbing starlings (which my feeding area gets over run by from January until the blue jays return). I miss them during winter and was happy to see they have finally returned within the last couple of days.
Bluejays at my feeders will mimic a redtail hawk to keep other birds away. They can imitate the calls of a lot of different birds. They are nowhere near as aggressive as the starlings. Starlings have to be one of the smarter birds. They will coordinate their aggressions and keep other birds away while they are cleaning out the feeder. Starlings will also take over other birds nests and kick any eggs out. Being they are considered invasive, they are the one bird not welcome here.
I don’t mind blue jays either. I guess my nemesis would be English sparrows, haven’t had them around in years. Starlings usually stay away also. Right now I have bluebirds & chickadees in bird houses. The wrens just arrived recently checking out a house. Tree Swallow numbers have been low in recent years, did hear some a few days ago.
