The Bakersfield Californian

Waiting out the storm

BY JON HAMMOND

Carol Lundstrom took this photo of two California Scrub Jays sheltering in an Arroyo Willow during a light snowstorm at Tehachapi Mountain Park.

California Scrub Jays (Aphelocoma californicus) are one of the most noticeable birds of the oak woodlands, riparian canyons and chaparral shrublands of the Tehachapi Mountains. Their raucous call gave rise to the Nuwä name for these birds: Cho-iikizh, which is pronounced choh-EEK-izh.

Jays are very smart, and will quickly learn if an area resident is willing to provide peanuts in the shell or other some treat. If they are hungry they will eat such a prize immediately, but they often cache it for later.

Jays have an amazing memory, and are able to find most of the assorted nuts and seeds that they cache. Not all of them, however, and for that reason, jays are often responsible for lots of trees getting planted, as acorns or pine nuts that they’ve hidden in the top soil or leaf duff get rained and snowed on, and then germinate and sprout in the spring.

Jays are very suspicious, rightfully so, of their neighbors, and if they think they’ve been watched as they bury a nut, they will wait a few minutes, dig it back up, and transfer it to a new location that they feel is more secretive.

California Scrub Jays can sometimes be seen standing on the back of deer, gleaning for ticks or other parasites. They will also help themselves to deer hair as nesting material in the spring when the deer are shedding.

NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, you may submit it to the Tehachapi News for possible publication. Submissions can be dropped by the News office in the form of a print or CD, or sent by email to: editorial@tehachapinews.com.

NATURAL SIGHTINGS

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2022-11-23T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-23T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://bakersfield.pressreader.com/article/281625309307439

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