OUR BLUE JAYS

A few days ago, we watched a pair of Blue Jays try to build a nest in the rafters of our porch about 5 feet from our front door. This is the fourth or fifth year that we have seen the Jays try and build a nest in the same spot. And they never succeed. The spot they pick is on a round log with the porch roof barely 5 inches above. It appears to us a very unlikely place, as we are in and out of the door often and on beautiful days like today, we keep the door open to enjoy the sunshine with the resultant music and commotion from inside our home very noticeable. The roundness of the log makes the twigs that the Jays use for the base of the nest, easily slip off to the ground. Sometimes the beginning of the nest will begin to take shape, and then the whole thing falls and the Jays have to start all over again. To make this project harder for the birds, they never seem to use the fallen twigs and have to fly out and get brand new twigs to begin the whole process again. We have made fun of their 'bird brains' every year and belittled their awry nesting instincts.

I said, “here we go again,' to David, as I was watching the birds yesterday begin to build the hopeless nest. I wondered if they could possibly be the same birds returning year after year to try and build their nest in the same ridiculous place. Not being interested in studying birds in any depth, we had no idea how long they lived. I decided to read up on the Blue Jays. I went online and found a wonderful bird site by the Canadian Wildlife Service, and read up on Blue Jays and found, among other facts,that the birds live 10-15 years. I also read this very interesting statement: 'Before the final nest is made, the birds build several incomplete nests as part of their courtship ritual.'
So our birds return year after year to go thru the same ritual near our back door. I guess they feel safe enough with us nearby.

I also revisited an important lesson. One I seem to need to relearn again and again. Somehow I forget and I judge situations or people before I know the whole story.