This time of year we have a lot of interesting birds around. A few of our summer breeders have not left us yet, but each day I’m seeing more and more of our winter residents arriving. And of course, there are always our wonderful year round residents. Breeding season is done, even for them, but now they are preparing for the colder weather that is to come. One of those residents that tend to be very busy in the fall are the eastern blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata). Their young are all fledged and on their own, but like the cardinals, a lot of those babies are still hanging around. Most days I at least hear them calling, and frequently I see them. They have quite a variety of calls and sounds, so sometimes they’re hard to identify. They are also sometimes act aggressively towards each other, and the next minute they’re sharing a treat. Most of the time, they are very busy hunting for food, stashing food, protecting territory, and letting everyone know they are around. But once in a while, you can actually catch one taking a break and being quiet. That was the case with this bird who flew in, ate several times, and eventually found a nice resting place in the woods. He looked like he had something really weighing on his mind, but actually he probably just had a full belly and was tired. One of the things that makes blue jays so interesting is their intelligence and their sometimes contradictory behavior. There are people who don’t much care for them, but I find them to be extremely interesting.