The jays are probably my favorite from this family along with the meadowlarks but they are no where near as numerous and they are also camera shy, at least the ones in my area. The scrub jays seem much less camera shy than the blue jays. All jays are aggressive, which puts off some people, but I think they are very photogenic. Obviously, the grackles are extremely abundant, both the great tailed and common variety. The red winged blackbird, which comes in high numbers in many parts of the United States, while present, does not appear in large numbers in my area of North Texas.
The day I took this picture it was near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but for a while the sun went behind some clouds coming off the coast and it made this area surprisingly dark. I was about to get my flash out, but instead opted for higher ISO settings and I stepped up enlarging the aperture. Even so, I brightened the image in Photoshop just a bit. I do like the perch that this green jay gave me so I am glad it all worked out even with bad light. Javelina Ranch, Peñitas, Texas, June 2009
The day I took this picture it was near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but for a while the sun went behind some clouds coming off the coast and it made this area surprisingly dark. I was about to get my flash out, but instead opted for higher ISO settings and I stepped up enlarging the aperture. Even so, I brightened the image in Photoshop just a bit. I do like the perch that this green jay gave me so I am glad it all worked out even with bad light. Javelina Ranch, Peñitas, Texas, June 2009