Towheeblog

Many of the montane forests in Oregon are home to two jay species.  In areas were oak and Doug fir forests meet you can often find Scrub and Steller’s Jays sharing feeders.  In predominately conifer forests you may encounter Canada (nee Gray) and Steller’s Jays. That is what our Malheur Field Station birding group found at Idlewild Campground, north of Burns along US 395. Here he is: whiskey jack, camp robber, gregarious gray jay, and very curious about us.  Their proximity–flock of about ten–convinced me to leave some trail mix (no chocolate) on the ground.  Within thirty seconds one jay was hauling off nuts, etc. to cache.

This forest was mostly ponderosa, just above 5000′ feet elevation.  Camp Idlewild is in the Malheur National Forest north of Devine Canyon.