I walk outside to the garden early most mornings, and with a loud squawk our resident scrub jays fly in. They perch on a trellis or tree branch across the yard but in plain sight, and cock their heads at me. I sigh, go back in to grab the peanuts I'd forgotten, and scatter a few on the patio.
scrub jays
Bird World
Training Scrub-Jays to trust you is time consuming work. I've been tossing peanuts to them from the doorway all winter. Now the couple waits and watches from their nearby home in the back shrubbery, and even if I pass the doorway, they come out to watch and wait.
Calculated Risk
The family of scrub jays that live in our yard love peanuts so much that they'll venture fairly close in order to grab some off the patio. I love how they hop in sideways, poised to flee at the tiniest hint of danger. Sometimes they won't come close at all, but squawk at us to move away, only swooping in later when they feel safe. It's how I approach returning to my pre-pandemic activities too...
Bird Friend
Today the grandkids and I buried one of the baby scrub jays that live in the tall line of arborvitae lining the upper edge of our backyard.
Rivers and Roads PDX 