Steller's Jay "Anting" at Humboldt Redwoods State Park

I saw some new bird behavior a few weeks ago on our Pacific Northwest trip. We were seeking cooler and cleaner air, and found it at Humboldt Redwoods State Park. We made a brief stop at the park visitor center and had a look around, keeping an eye out as always for interesting birds.

Steller's Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) aren't rare, but the one we saw at did something a bit odd. It spread out its wings and flattened itself onto the fence. I didn't understand what was going on at the time, but I later found that it was probably "anting". The bird may be spreading ants on its wings as a way of making a chemically hostile environment for mites and other parasites.

Steller's Jays are a familiar sight in western conifer forests, with a range that extends from Central America to Alaska. They are almost never found at my home in the Central Valley, but it is a rare trip to the local mountains that doesn't have a sighting or two or a dozen. They are the most common nuisance bird at campgrounds and picnic areas with the possible exception of Common Ravens.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park preserves some beautiful old-growth Redwood forests along the so-called Avenue of the Giants (an old section of Highway 101 repurposed into a tourist route). It's a wonderful cool destination when the temperature soars in other parts of the western states.

Steller's Jay Family at Humboldt Redwoods State Park

When I'm traveling in the mountains, I never fail to see a Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri). More than just about any bird, they've adapted to the presence of humans in their habitat, and as such are common birds at every campground and picnic area. Despite their abundance, I've almost never managed to catch many good shots. They are in constant motion, so almost all my shots are bright blue blurs.

I've fallen so far behind in my bird postings that I forgot that I managed a few nice shots of some Steller's Jays at Albee Creek Campground at Humboldt Redwoods State Park in Northern California. We were on the first day of our Pacific Northwest vacation, and had discovered this quiet corner of one of California's most busy state parks. Albee Creek is a couple of miles off of Highway 101 in a forest of giant Redwood trees.

The jays were doing their usual thing, looking for scraps of food in the campsite. I realized after a while that two of the jays were smaller and were clearly juveniles getting trained in the art of campground scavenging. The birds are intelligent and resourceful, able to adapt to changing conditions. That's why they deal so well with human habitats.

Juvenile Steller's Jay

Albee Creek Campground is located along a meadow ringed by Redwood trees. It was an old homestead that was incorporated into the state park when it was established in the 1920s. Mattole Road, which provides access to the campground, winds over the ridges to one of the most isolated parts of the California shoreline, the Lost Coast around Cape Mendocino. It's a fascinating place to explore.

It's Jay Day! But Don't Call Us "Blue": The Jays of California

Western Scrub Jay on the Tuolumne River Parkway

Blogging doesn't evoke much in the way of mysticism and supernatural signs and that sort of rubbish, but I had signs that I was finally supposed to post pictures of two of the most common kinds of birds in my region, the jays. I was exploring the upper reaches of the Stanislaus River near Sonora Pass when smoke from the Kings Canyon fire chased us back down the hill. In consolation, I took a walk along the Tuolumne River Parkway at sunset. In the whole day I saw only jays. I haven't mentioned them before on this blog, so this must be the day.

Western Scrub Jay on the Tuolumne River Parkway

The birds were the Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) up in the mountains, and the Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica) down in the valley. Notice in these pictures that they are blue in color, but they are not "blue". The actual Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is mainly an eastern species found mostly beyond the Rocky Mountains, although they are occasionally found in the Pacific Northwest and northernmost California. But not around here.

Western Scrub Jay on the Tuolumne River Parkway

There are two other species of jay in California. One is really special: the Island Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma insularis) is a rare species found on Santa Cruz Island off the California coast and nowhere else in the world. There are perhaps 2,500 of them in existence. Isolated from its relatives on the mainland, it has evolved into a unique species that is bigger, with a larger bill, blacker cheeks, longer legs and deeper blue color.

Western Scrub Jay on the Tuolumne River Parkway

The other jay is the Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus). It lives mostly in the Basin and Range province east of the Sierra Nevada. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing them yet, although they have been seen in the Central Valley on very rare occasions.

Western Scrub Jay on the Tuolumne River Parkway

The Western Scrub Jay is a common bird in my neighborhood, and one of those birds that don't really care what humans think. They'll go about their business in my backyard or by the river, not caring whether I'm watching them or not. On many mornings I can be awakened by their pounding of acorns or pecans on the roof. I'm constantly digging up tree sprouts that came from seeds they have inadvertently left lying on the ground in our yard.

Sunset view of the Tuolumne River from the new parkway trail

The Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) lives primarily in the conifer woods above the valley floor, but they will venture onto the valley floor during the winter at times. They are another "in your face" species, inhabiting campgrounds and picnic areas loudly and in large numbers. The one I saw today was being sneaky, though, because I was nibbling on a sandwich looking one way while it was sneaking about in the tree behind me waiting for some crumbs to fall.

Steller's Jay in the upper headwaters of the Stanislaus River north of Yosemite

I have surprisingly few good pictures of Steller's Jays. As common as they are, they've never remained still enough for me to get sharp pictures. The picture above is from this afternoon, but I had to go back to a trip in Big Sur in 2008 for some adequate shots of the species. That's like two cameras ago!

Steller's Jay at Big Sur

So...two jays down, and two to go, unless I go far afield. I'll have the best chance on our Cascades Volcanoes trip in a few weeks when we go into northeastern California and the pinyon country. I'll be looking for Pinyon Jays. I don't know when I'll have a chance to reach Santa Cruz Island to see the Island Scrub Jay, but I'm really looking forward to the day when that can happen.

Steller's Jay at Big Sur