Introducing... BJ Jr and Lady Twitch!
Spring is in the air!
Today I saw two new birds hanging out near the Cantina: the first was a small scrub jay (a new member of the BJ family!?) and the other was a female dark-eyed junco (Twitch's new girlfriend!).
Allow me to introduce you, in order of appearance.
Say hello to BJ Jr.
Hi BJ Jr!
He looks just like Mama BJ and Papa BJ, just little (so cute!).
In these two pics you can see the whole family. No doubt Mama BJ and Papa BJ are showing BJ Jr where to get the best seed in town.
I'm wondering if BJ Jr came from the nest in the Courtyard. About three weeks ago, I noticed the BJ's have a nest here.
You can see a glimmer of blue.
California scrub jays, according to Wikipedia, lay eggs from March through July, though it does say there are regional variations. When I first saw the nest, it seemed well-established. I read that jay's nests take about 10 days to build and baby jays leave after about 18 days.
So timing-wise, it could very well be that BJ Jr was born in the Courtyard. I don't want to get too close to the nest, but I will continue to observe and report.
Next, I would like to introduce you to Lady Twitch.
Hi Lady Twitch!
You can see her on the rope and Twitch on the metal fence.
It was the first time I've seen two dark-eyed juncos together, and the first female dark-eyed junco.
The birds of the Cantina & Courtyard seemed especially happy and active today. I think they are excited for Spring. So am I.