HomeBack The Howland Gray Jay Page

Page by Deb

The gray jay (perisoreus canadensis) is a bold creature. Apparently they forage for nuts and pine cones, storing their loot in convenient locations for later lunches, but I've only seen them looking for handouts. In fact, if you look away for even a second, your whole sandwich will be gone, and maybe your firstborn as well.

Resources where you can find out more:

Pretty please give me something to eat...

(click image for larger photo)

As a friend and I were coming down from the Lake Agnes/Big Beehive hike (just around the corner from Lake Louise), this little creature accosted us. It was getting dark, and we were about the last ones down, so I guess the bird figured it was its last chance for an easy dinner. We watched the jay fly in from quite far away, stopping every few hundred feet to check us out from a convenient tree.

I put out an arm (accidentally the first time), and the jay came right in and landed on my hand. I'm not hugely in favor of feeding the animals (especially when all the signs posted seem to imply that some park warden might do nasty things to you if you get caught), and I especially don't like feeding birds with big beaks. Even its cutest begging look didn't get that last piece of chocolate out of me (I'm sure it wasn't good for it anyway). Despite that, the jay was pretty persistent in following and begging for the next couple of switchbacks.

Photo info:

  • 320 x 240 true color
  • Exposure time: 10/423
  • F-stop: 4.2
  • ISO speed: 400
  • Focal length: 71.2000 (with 1.5X teleconverter)
  • Exposure bias: 0.0000
  • Metering mode: Pattern
  • Exposure program: Normal
  • Compression: 6
  • Camera make: NIKON
  • Camera model: E5700

Larger photo info:

  • 640 x 480 true color
  • 186KB

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