After being rescued from a destroyed nest when they were about a day old, these two jays were hand-raised in the house until they had feathers enough to keep warm. Then they were moved to an outside avairy; where they continued to be hand-fed for about a month. They learned to fly and eat on their own. They were visited by a family of wild jays every day. The 3 younger wild jays who are a little older than Mr A and Baby, would sit on the top of the avairy and they would talk and visit. The two adults generally sat in the trees a little ways off and watched.
September 8, 2005 both Jays were acting like they wanted to go free, so they were released at 63 days old. After two days hanging around the house and calling me whenever they needed to be feed, they stopped coming to me and I saw them traveling with the family of local wild jays. I kept the bird feeders stocked and all seven jays come around to the garden and the pond a couple times a day. It is so good seeing the wild birds teaching Mr A. and Baby how to be jays.
A few days after being released Baby came back unable to fly, with the right wing hanging lower than the other. I opened the door and Baby walked back into the avairy. After 6 days recouperating Baby was gliding, but not flying; but she wanted to leave the avairy, so I opened the door and let her go. She stayed around the house all afternoon and the wild jays came and visited, but Baby stayed behind whenever they flew off. Baby just could not fly well enough to keep up with them. After a few hours Baby walked back into the Avairy and stayed there 10 more days. By then Baby was flying and felt well enough to want to go free again. On the Autumnal Equinox Baby acted like she wanted to be released so I opened the door and she again flew out. She visited me a couple times the second day out. Then after a few hours I saw her again traveling with her sibling and the wild jays. |
