Gray Jay–pet for a nomad

The first time I noticed a Gray Jay, was when I moved to North Central Washington. They came right up to me–like I was in a Disney movie. I mentioned to someone that these birds don’t seem to have any fear of people, and they nodded and said “Yeah, they’ll take food right out of your hand.”

One morning, high up a pass in the North Cascades, I woke up on a wide section of trail that I had decided was as far as I could go the night before. Lying in my bag, looking out at the glorious view and the morning sun, I reach into my food sack and pulled out a bar for breakfast. As I unwrapped it, a Gray Jay lighted by me. Even though I don’t approve of feeding animals, I held a piece of my bar between my fingers; it hopped on over and took it. Then two others showed up. One landed on my pack that was laying next to me; we finished off the bar together. When the bar was gone, so were they.

I would really like a pet for the winter but I know as soon as spring comes a pet will tie me down. My son suggested I try to make friends with a wild bird.

I worry about putting out a feeder because I don’t want to attract rodents and bears. But maybe I’ll buy some feed and see how it goes. One website has this to say about Gray Jays: “Trusting and easily tamed, the Gray Jay is good company for people in lonely places.”

In the spring I put out eggs for the ravens. They swoop my cabin when they want one. But they are stealthy, once I put the eggs out. We are a long way from becoming friends but a gray jay is your friend right away.

When I came home, this year, there was a Grey jay coming around to my cabin but I didn’t feed it so it left. Maybe it will give me a second chance.

Whoa! As I was writing this, I put out a little bread on my picnic table that sits on my porch. Now a Raven is swooping around my cabin, yelling. If it takes the bread, that will be as close as it has ever come to my cabin. Those ravens always know what is going on.