Island Birds and a Goodbye

 The Island is a haven for many types of birds in the summer months.

Even though they are primarily bug eaters, this red breasted nuthatch couldn't resist flying in to snatch away some leftover sunflower seeds. Look at the feet on this guy - no wonder they find it so easy to walk down tree trunks upside down!

 I think there are possibly more goldfinch on Prince Edward Island than anywhere else in the summer. They seem to be everywhere and are constantly flitting around the trees and roadside plants.

The provincial bird of the Island is the bluejay. We always laughed at this since the decision was made based on putting the question to school kids a number of years ago. There are many more unique and beautiful birds that could represent the province but the bluejays are so ubiquitous and so annoying with their raucous calls that they were the bird all the kids thought of when asked. 

Of course, now that I live in an area where I rarely see bluejays, I rather miss their presence. That is why I decided to try and capture a photo of one on my visit but they did not make it easy to get their photo. 

The shot below is one of those that "would have been" absolutely amazing if the camera had just been aimed 6" lower. I was trying to get a shot of this bluejay in the tree. I did not even know the cedar waxwing was in the area. All of a sudden the bluejay dove out of the tree at full speed with the waxwing in hot pursuit. The smaller bird likely had a nest in the tree that the bluejay was trying to rob. Look how vertical the waxwing is! He was determined to let the jay know it was not welcome!

On another note...Rest in Peace Jake's Girl. She was older than Methuselah and tough as nails to the very end. She is almost twenty in the photo below, taken some years ago just after she had her next to last baby, Dusty. Jake came to us when she was 11 years old and she had already had 8 or 9 babies at that point. She gave us another 6 before we decided that was enough about 5 years ago. She was a great mama and she will be missed.