Where are my blue jays?

Do blue jays typically avoid feeders in the summer? We really enjoyed seeing our blue jays all winter and spring but for the past few weeks I haven't seen a single one. I figure that after months of peanuts and seed that they are now happy to finally have some juicy insects to dine on, but it just seems odd to me that I don't see them at all. Is this typical?

Niere, around here, we only see the Blue Jays occasionally. There is one hanging around now, that's eating from a feeder, but I think he's a teenager looking for an easy meal. He hasn't even learned he can boss the other birds off the feeder, yet, lol. Dunno if that helps, though.

~Kris

Jays are probably my most consistent bird here. I see them just about every day of the year, and in good numbers. And they eat from my feeders all year.

Niere, PLEASE give me directions to your place and I'll pass it on to the large gang of beautiful but very annoying Blue Jays I have here. Do you have a peanut silo and a feeder W/ black oil sunflower seed? They just love the peanuts!

I never saw too many until I made the mistake of putting out peanuts in the shell on an open dish, I stopped that but they still come in for the peanut halves in the silo.

IThanks everyone for your replies. t's just so strange--one day over the winter we counted nine blue jays at our feeders, and now we have none. The only thing I can think of is that we did have one blue jay whom we named "Floyd" who slowly became a very, very FAT bird in large part we think because he loved our feeders and eventually would just hang out at the bottom of it. He didn't appear sick at all--he could fly, he could walk, he just got really fat and lazy and then one day we noticed a few blue feathers about the yard and part of a wing off the side of our embankment. We are pretty sure it was a hawk that got our Floyd. We still had blue jays after that, but they have slowly disappeared on us. We still have tons of other birds--doves, woodpeckers, goldfinches, cardinals, grosbeaks, sparrows, titmice, nuthatches, towhees, etc. As for what our feeders offer, we have had a "wreath" peanut feeder for months and months. It used to be the one thing that I'd have to fill almost daily, the jays loved it so much. Now I rarely have to fill it--the woodpeckers seem to be the only ones interested. :(

I just really miss our blue jays. And though I know they seem to have a reputation for being a tad bullyish, ours never seemed to be. They got along pretty well with all our other birds and didn't seem to hog our feeders (right now it's the cowbirds who are doing a pretty good job of accomplishing that.)

Pelletory--Just send them up to Rhode Island--we're a small state, they'll find me. ;) :D

Our jays (Eurasian Jay) go very quiet and secretive during the breeding season. Wouldn't surprise me if yours did too.

Resin

Me, too, Resin. I made the mistake of putting peanuts in a bowl on my deck right outside my bedroom window. I don't really need to set my alarm any more because if there aren't peanuts in the bowl by about 8 a.m., my bluejays are going crazy, screeching outside my window telling me to get my lazy bones out of bed and get them their peanuts.
I'll send you bluejays, Niere, and, because it's Friday and I'm feeling generous, throw in a couple bird-seed gobbling squirrels.

Thanks Resin--I had considered that as well. I'm hoping that's what it is!

Judy--LOL! You can keep the squirrels. And if anyone would like any cowbirds or mourning doves, I have plenty to share. :p

And I have some very interesting big 'ol crows I'd be glad to share with anyone who would like them. I haven't put peanuts out for quite awhile because they have them gone before I have gotten back into the house (well, okay, I have a tendency to exaggerate a bit, but they sure are greedy - and fast).

Murmur - I'll take some crows! Even just one! I've only seen a few in the past few years - and we used to have tons. I miss them. People think they're annoying, but I like them. :)

~Kris

I have put out peanuts, but have no takers. Do you shell them or put them out whole. I have plenty of jays and woodpeckers. Beth

The big initial draw for mine were the peanuts IN the shell on an open dish or platform feeder.

LOL! That's a great shot, pelletory! Too funny!

~Kris

Just thought I would add an update--my blue jays are back! I think Resin was right, though I don't know if I would recognize a juvenile blue jay. Need to go look up some pictures...

Thanks everyone. :D

Mine must have all hatched and moved north. I only saw one today. He stopped by real early.