If birds had air traffic controllers this event would be up before a review board in the beat of a hummer’s wing. The suet feeder is at times a madhouse of winged feeders. Lately the traffic is barely manageable. As many as 8 to 12 birds maneuver between the local tree, the wire, and the suet feeder. Adjacent to the rendered fat factory is a popular thistle restaurant with 8 seats. During rush hour as many as 20 birds are visible. If the finch family with their 5 children show up without a reservation, all bets are off. A recent sharp noise had briefly scattered the clientele to neighboring trees and the area around the feeders was manageable. The bluejay had just stopped for a quick couple of bites and was leaving the suet factory when a downey woodpecker approached the feeder. The timing could not have been worse. Committed to their chosen flight paths, the collision was inevitable. BANG!!!! It was over in less than 50 hummer wing beats. Flight bluejay 101 continued on its way while the much smaller single engine downey woodpecker was in trouble. A crash landing into the deck screen had the woodpecker digging in. Feet firmly anchored on the screen it passed out. It stayed motionless with its head drooped backwards for about 5 seconds, then it lifted its head gasping for air. For 15 minutes the bird stayed attached to its safety net. Crash victim ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) Recovering from the event it resumed its activities, probably a little more cautious about approaching suet airfield with a bluejay on the runway. Jerry
Those bluejays--no consideration for other flyers! Glad your hummingbird recovered. We fished one out of a water barrel, dried it off with a very soft cotton towel, and let it recover on a shady spot on the patio. It eventually took off, a sadder but wiser bird.
Poor guy! Bet he was a bit shaken up! So glad there were no fatalities! Yea, That's why we call Bluejays the Hell's Angels of the bird world.
You tell the best short stories...back to the subject, I am glad he recovered. I have noticed the black birds are the mean ones here, they have been killing the sparrows if they are in the way. No notice of the jays being mean here but they are noisy calling me to tell me they need more peanuts...and funny how many noises come out of them. I stop for a minute and think is that the Blue Jay or another bird. Most of the time it is them, I have heard that they copy other birds sounds ...
I love reading your stories. They are so entertaining. You really paint amazing pictures with your words, and to have a picture of the little guy is so sweet. I hope it recovered well and will be more careful next time.
