Big birds and bullied dove

To add to the usual sparrows, a variety of big birds showed
up today: eight Blue Jays, two Grackles, and several Starlings.
Though Starlings live in my city I hadn't noticed them before
at my place except for one occasional visitor last winter.
Grackles were common two or three years ago but had vanished
until today. This is the largest number of jays I have seen
at once. I wish they would come in a flock more often.

There was also an amusing confrontation between a squirrel and
a Mourning Dove. The young-looking dove was trying to eat
scattered seed but the squirrel chased it away twice. Finally
as the unhappy, hungry dove stood on the lawn a larger dove
glided down from a nearby tree, landed right next to the young
dove, and escorted it back to the area where I had scattered
seed. The squirrel gave an evil look but left them alone.

(BTW, Agway's finch mix is very popular with doves. Peanut
chunks may have been what attracted the Blue Jays.)

--
John Carr (jfc@xxxxxxx)
.