In the past day, nobody ate the orange.

[conuly]

However, today I saw a downy woodpecker gamely tapping away at the peanut feeder! And I learned how blue jays eat their peanuts. I hadn't given it much thought, but today the blue jay hung around to eat a peanut rather than flying off, and apparently this bird's method of cracking the shell is to perch somewhere and smack it against a branch until it cracks. I had no idea!

Is it possible the woodpecker is the one drinking the nectar? I still haven't caught anybody at it, but the syrup does vanish.

******************

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Comments

[chomiji]

How are you at June 9 (according to post header) when I am still at June 6? So confused ... .

[conuly]

For the past 15 years I’ve habitually posted ahead.

[chomiji]

Ah. Sorry to be so silly, I have been mostly absent from DW for the last 3 years and have forgotten a great deal.

[conuly]

Nah, it's really that it's so freaking hot here that I'm all cranky.

[wint3rpear]

Blue jays are very smart birbs. So are crows and whatnot. :o

[offcntr]

My friend Hattie Mae used to see scrub jays (our western blue jay) dropping acorns on the driveway to the UO Art Museum, then flying down to rescue the contents after cars cracked them open. Never saw that, but I did see one fly up to a branch, wedge the acorn in a gap in the bark, and wale away at it with its beak until the shell broke and he could get at the meat.

...so I guess it's all in finding your proper niche.

[conuly]

I've heard about crows utilizing traffic to break nuts. I guess it's not surprising that their cousins do it too.