It’s easy for me to be delighted to take Blue Jay photos because I went so long without seeing or photographing them while I lived in Utah. I only took decent images of them once. These jays simply weren’t all that common there.

Spring adult Blue Jay close up, Sebastian County, ArkansasSpring adult Blue Jay close up – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/160, ISO 800, +0.7 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light

Blue Jays are abundant in Arkansas and Oklahoma, and I’m always glad to focus on them through my viewfinder. Spring, summer, winter, or fall, these beautiful blue, gray, black, and white birds keep me entertained, amused, and fascinated.

Up close…

Pair of Blue Jays in a pear tree, Sebastian County, ArkansasPair of Blue Jays in a pear tree – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/125, ISO 1250, +0.7 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 371mm, natural light

Or in pairs in pear trees!

If you peek at the left side of the photo, you’ll see some baby pears just getting started. Here’s hoping the squirrels show a little self-restraint and let a few grow up to be juicy and delicious!

Blue Jay eating sunflower seeds on a rock, Sebastian County, ArkansasBlue Jay eating sunflower seeds on a rock – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/400, ISO 1250, +0.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light

The light gave me a bit of a workout yesterday while photographing these Blue Jays. Clouds outnumbered sunshine, and things stayed dim more often than not.

But, I’ve learned to work with the light, not fight it. The light is what it is.

The last image I’ve included shows one of the Blue Jays on the rock, cracking open a sunflower seed. That rock seems pretty handy for that purpose for a couple of species around here.

Whenever a Blue Jay, or a whole band of them, shows up, you can bet my camera will get a serious workout!

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Blue Jay photos plus facts and information about this species.