November 11, 2020 - Three Jay Day

 After viewing some Remembrance Day ceremonies on TV, I headed out to Ladner to see if I could spot the Blue Jay that has been on the rare bird alert for quite a while. The reports were centered around Ladner Harbour Park, which is just off Highway 99 after the Tunnel.

It was another case of not having to find the bird, just find the birders. There were quite a few there when I arrived. I ended up spending about 90 minutes at the location to see the target birds, a Blue Jay and one or more California Scrub-jays.

The conditions were dry but overcast, which made the surrounding forest look quite gray, not ideal for bird photos.

It didn't take long to get my first shot, a group of Snow Geese flying overhead.

Snow Geese - Ladner Harbour Park, Delta BC

After the geese, there wasn't much to see for a while, I did see something in the trees that turned out to be a House Finch.

House Finch - Ladner Harbour Park, Delta BC

A little while later, one of the star attractions appeared, a California Scrub-Jay. This bird was formerly known as the Western Scrub-Jay, but this species was split into two species in 2016. The west coast version is the California, the interior one is the Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay. Splits like this always make birder's happy as it adds the possibility of a new life list addition, possibly of a bird one has already seen.

It was hard to get a clear shot as the bird was on the move foraging for insects.

California Scrub-Jay - Ladner Harbour Park, Delta BC - 2020 Bird #127

Here's the rear view:

After that it was back to a more common (and co-operative) bird:

Spotted Towhee - Ladner Harbour Park, Delta BC

Suddenly there was a flurry of excitement as the Blue Jay made it's first appearance since I had arrived. It was on the move, making it difficult to get a clear shot.

Blue Jay - Ladner Harbour Park, Delta BC - 2020 Bird #128

It disappeared as quickly as it had arrived and I went back to the more common local birds.

Northern Flicker - Ladner Harbour Park, Delta BC

The third jay species was the next to appear, our local Steller's Jay.

Steller's Jay - Ladner Harbour Park, Delta BC

This seemed to attract the Blue Jay's attention as it reappeared and afforded me a few more shots.

Blue Jay - Ladner Harbour Park, Delta BC

The bird is quite striking in flight:

And one last shot:

It's unfortunate the day was overcast, making the birds look somewhat drab. However, they have been at this location for a few weeks or more, so a sunny day may come while they are still there.