The Roving Lens

Nature is my church. It is the only place I can go to leave behind connection and yet still experience connection.

An often overlooked beautiful...yet pesky bird. Blue Jays are so common in much of the U.S. they are easily looked past when birders are out searching for more exotic breeds. However, did you know:

-Thousands of Blue Jays migrate in flocks along the Great Lakes and Atlantic coasts, but much about their migration remains a mystery. Some are present throughout winter in all parts of their range. Young jays may be more likely to migrate than adults, but many adults also migrate. Some individual jays migrate south one year, stay north the next winter, and then migrate south again the next year. No one has worked out why they migrate when they do.

-The Blue Jay frequently mimics the calls of hawks, especially the Red-shouldered Hawk. These calls may provide information to other jays that a hawk is around, or may be used to deceive other species into believing a hawk is present.

The Abundance of American Robins:

In winter, robins abandon nesting territories in places like your yard and instead wander the countryside in huge flocks, sometimes several hundred together.

Yellow-Rumped Warbler startles Red-Bellied Woodpecker on approach and is subsequently startled by Red-Bellied Woody upon take-off.

Texture and Light are a beautiful yet delicate balancing act. Able to alter moods with the slightest shift.