Whiskey-Jack: The Balcony Birdwatcher's Bailiwick!

THE GRAY JAY, ALGONQUIN PARK, (and "THE RAVEN")

© W. Banner

WOSLBOYR (November 1999)

History        Description        Banding        Preparing for winter     Brood reduction      The range of the Gray Jay        Albino Gray Jays        Decline of the population        "The Raven"        The Friends of Algonquin         "SBAA Website"

HISTORICAL      After reading about the Gray Jay in Algonquin Park's "The Best Of The Raven" and "The Birds of Algonquin Provincial Park" I concluded that this bird, with its confident and fearless approach for a handout from the Park visitor was certainly one that I should get to know better. Beginning in 1998 I have tried to make yearly pilgrimages up to Algonquin Park in the late cold weather to meet the "Whiskey-Jack". I have been fortunate, on each trip to meet not just Gray Jays, but the same family unit of Jays. (see "UPDATE" in the reference section, below, or click here for a quick return trip ).
     In the meantime I'd like to pass along some of the information about this bird and the people who have actually studied it first-hand - Russ Rutter and Dan Strickland.
     The major study of this bird has been done by these two gentlemen in Algonquin Park, Ontario, and has spanned more than 30 years.

Russ Rutter
Photo by Dan Strickland
(From "The Best of The Raven")
Dan Strickland
Photo by Lynn Ball
(From "The Best of The Raven")

     In the 1960's, Russ Rutter began research into the Gray Jay. and was joined by Dan Strickland in the early 1970's. Russ retired in 1973. Dan has carried the study on to the present, becoming the foremost authority on this bird. The exercise has been one of the longest-running biological field studies in Algonquin Park. In 2000 Dan retired from his position as the chief Naturalist of Algonquin Provincial Park but continues his researh projects.
More about Dan Strickland's wealth of contributions to Algonquin Park is provided in the "Acknowledgment"section at the bottom of this page.
     In addition to scientific journals, Russ Rutter and Dan Strickland have described this research in very readable articles that they published in "The Raven". Most of what I relate here has been gleaned from their writings. While Russ and Dan studied this Jay they also authored and published "The Raven" for over 34 years. Thus there is a strong association between the Gray Jay and the history of "The Raven". More about this publication later.

     The Gray Jay is most typically Canadian - caching winter food supplies in the cool/cold fall; surviving in the hostile Canadian winter without migrating; and nesting while the snow is still deep on the ground.

Nesting, mid-April
Photo by Dan Strickland
(From "Birds of Algonquin Park")

     From a 1991 "Raven" newsletter, on sadly contemplating the inevitability of winter:
     "There is certainly nothing sad about these birds- indeed quite the opposite. With their big dark eyes, soft fluffy plumage and, above all, their habit of fearlessly gliding down to our picnic table and even landing on our hands to take a bit of bread or cheese, they seem entirely confident and content - and they never fail to warm our hearts. Here at least is a Park inhabitant that is unafraid of us and unafraid of winter."

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THE GRAY JAY - DESCRIPTION

© Aarre Ertolahti

     The Gray Jay is a large, fluffy, gray bird, about the same size as a Blue Jay, with a white head and crown and a black partial cap on the back of its head. It is suggestive of an overgrown Chickadee. Oddly enough, during its first summer, the juvenile bird bears no resemblance to its parents, being almost sooty black, with a white "whisker". To the right is a photograph of a "juvenile" by Aarre Ertolahti. Click on the photo to see another picture of the same bird, but a close-up.      Below are two additional photographs of juvenile Gray Jays recently provided by Aarre Ertolahti. The one on the right shows a growth on the bill which is suspected to be the "egg tooth" - a device for breaking through the shell of the egg and which should shortly drop off. Click on the pictures for a larger view - "back" to return.

© Aarre Ertolahti

      The Gray Jay does a lot of gliding in flight and although it is a member of the crow (Corvidae) family, it is a relatively quiet bird compared to blue jays, crows and ravens.

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TRACKING THE GRAY JAY THROUGH BANDING
     Beginning about 1960, Russ Rutter pioneered a technique of applying combinations of coloured bands to the legs of Gray Jays in order to recognize individual live birds at a glance and to track their movements (and longevity). He also succeeded in finding their nests. Later, along with Dan Strickland, they uncovered the story of the bird's behaviour over the seasons and wrote about it in scientific journals and "The Raven".
     Quoting from "The Raven" in 1967 ("Bands Right and Left") by Russ Rutter:
     "The Gray Jay is the gray, black, and white bird that comes so boldly around our picnic tables..........Among other things, it has been learned that these birds do not travel very far from their home range and there are banded birds around now that have been in the same area for at least seven years."
      An interesting 1946 field report from Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, By Dr. D. S. Farner, Ranger-Naturalist attests to the longevity and "tenacity to the home range" behaviour of this bird. The report is from the park's "Nature Notes" archives and was reprinted by the Crater Lake Natural History association. click here; ('back' to return)

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PREPARATIONS FOR WINTER
     "You can't travel very long in Algonquin Park, at least during the cold season, without being found by a pair of Gray Jays who obviously expect a handout"
     The study has shown that this technique of boldly soliciting a handout is not inherited but is "learned through experience and observing older Jays".
     The Gray Jays manage their winter survival feat by obsessively gathering and storing bits of food of all description (insects, berries, carrion, fungi, etc.) in literally thousands of places all over their territory as the cold weather begins to develop in the fall. "They even have special, enlarged, salivary glands so that they can cover the food they hide with a sticky coating and fasten it more securely in their hiding places" (The word Perisoreus is said to mean "hoarder").
     As described in "Birds of North America" one Gray Jay has even been observed (and photographed) flying while carrying a whole slice of bread with its feet, an unusual behaviour normally reserved for birds of prey.

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BROOD REDUCTION FOR WINTER SURVIVAL
     The Gray Jay has a special "brood reduction" arrangement apparently stemming from inter-sibling competition for access to supplementary food stored by the adults. This is disclosed in the late fall when family groups of Gray jays begin to show up at campgrounds and picnic sites in search of handouts (The handouts are not consumed on the site but are methodically carried back into the bush to be hidden away for winter consumption).
     The family group that shows up in the fall usually consists of only three individuals - the parents and one offspring. Although the brood usually begins with three young, the dominant one of the brood banishes its weaker siblings from the territory in June, possibly so that they will not locate (by memory) and share in the food cached by the rest of the family. It is estimated that about 80 percent of the banished young do not survive until fall, as they don't benefit from parental protection and example - brotherly tolerance gives way to the need for survival! In turn, just before the next breeding season begins, the parents expel the remaining youngster from the territory and then start a new family and repeat the cycle.

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THE RANGE OF THE GRAY JAY
     Although the Gray Jay is predominantly "Canadian" and is not migratory, certain races of the bird are reported in the Adirondacks and in the western USA "high-country" at altitudes where the vegetation and the climate correspond to those of the Canadian coniferous forests" (from "hinterland Who's Who").
Western USA

     The above photograph, by courtesy of Stig Linander of Farum, Denmark, shows his daughter, Signe, feeding a Gray Jay a bit of apple, with his son, Toke, looking on. The picture was taken at Olympic National Park, north-west of Seattle, Washington on October 20th, 1996.
     It would appear that because much of the "high country" in the USA is fairly accessible to tourists, the Gray Jay may be better known there than it is here in Ontario. So much better known, in fact, that its obsessive "collecting and hiding" habits have given it the nickname "camp robber" and it would not be unusual to see a family of Jays boldly join in and disrupt a group of unwitting picnickers (as Stig Linander observed)!
     A link to Stig Linander's website is provided in the references.

     In the 1897 issue of "Birds and Nature" magazine an interesting article on the Canada Jay describes in detail, its boldness:
"They are the boldest of our birds, except the Chickadee, and in cool impudence far surpass all others".
     A link to the magazine article is provided in the references. It is well worth reading.

More from the state of Washington
     In mid May, 2003, Suzanne Forester and her husband discovered Gray Jays for the very first time. They were traveling highway 12 in Washington State approaching the summit of White Pass (4,500 feet) in the Cascade mountains, not far from the town of Packwood. They had just pulled over to take some pictures and enjoy the snow before heading back down to the 70 degree (F) weather below, when they noticed a lot of "fluttering and excitement" in the bushes. It turned out to be two Gray Jays. The birds seemed to act like they knew exactly what to do to coax some food out of a visitor! At the time, Suzanne was unfamiliar with Gray Jays.

© Suzanne Forester

(Click on the image for a close-up of the Jay.
Select "back" to return).

Quoting Suzanne:
"They were literally 2 feet from me, and I probably could have got closer, but I didn't want to ruin my chances of getting some good pictures. They were SOOOO bold and unafraid, but also seemed to scold me, they'd fly back up into a tree and yap at me a few times and then come back down for the avocado chips I crushed on the railing for them. It was sooooo much fun being up this close to a wild critter like that".
     Later, at home, Suzanne managed to identify the birds, with the help of a skilled naturalist friend and author of an excellent website devoted to the Charles River of Boston and vicinity. A link to his website "Along The Charles" is provided in the "Reference Links section", below.

Northern USA - Alaska
     During a visit to Alaska's Denali (Mt. McKinley) National Park in mid-September, 1995, two youngsters, Zach and Willie Via reportedly had first hand experience with the "Camp Robber":
     "This one took Willie's banana muffin right out of his hands as he was eating it!".

British Columbia, Canada
     On February 9, 2002, Mike Fung and his wife Yvonne, had their first encounter with Gray Jays while snowshoeing near the "Flower Lake Loop Trail" of Seymour Mountain Provincial Park in North Vancouver, B.C. There were three Jays and they readily demonstrated their friendly and fearless character, by boldly approaching Mike and Yvonne as soon as a morsel was offered!
     A few days later, the Fungs returned to the same location with their daughter Melissa. They again met the Jays, and this time, took numerous photographs. Although the birds aren't banded, an understanding of their territorial behaviour would certainly indicate that this was the same family of Jays that they had met before.
      The Jays took all the food that Mike and his family had to offer, using their feet as well as mouths to transport the goodies off into the bush.

© M. Fung

     Mike's comment on the encounter could not have said it better:

     "The three birds were so friendly that it was us who left them, after what seemed like ages of feeding and more than 20 shots, not the other way round. They would have been happy to stay with us forever!"
     A link to Mount Seymour is provided in the reference section. Additonal photos, including a years 2007 and earl 2008 encounters on Mount Hollyburn, may be seen by clicking here ("back" to return).

     Gray Jays really make themselves at home around people (and food!). On another trip, while cross-country skiing at Cypress Provincial Park, also on the North Shore of Vancouver, Mike and his family were entertained by four Gray Jays at the warming hut known as "Hollyburn Lodge" the Gray Jays even perched on the tips of their skis. This behaviour is certainly peculiar to gray Jays, as a Steller's Jay in a nearby tree would not venture down for hand feeding.

     Mt. Washington, Vancouver Island, British Columbia:
      The following photograph was kindly provided by Steve Howie of Guelph, Ontario.

© S. Howie

      Quoting Steve about this encounter with a Gray Jay as well as his impression of the surroundings:
     "WE saw this little guy at the summit of Mt. Washington in Vancouver Island in July, 2005 - they're fearless! We had just taken the summer chairlift to the summit (elevation 5,300') and were struck by the bizarre plant life scattered all over the place - wild lupins, several varieties of heather, Indian paintbrush and dwarf spruce trees. Apparently there is also a colony of the endangered Vancouver Marmot on the ski slope next to the chairlift.
     A Fascinating place!"

     Bridge Lake in British Columbia: Orval Kliewer, lives at Bridge Lake, not too far from 100 Mile House and has Gray Jays "right in his own backyard". They visit him regularly. His brother, Henry (see my webpage on Clark's Nutcracker), provided the following photograph.

© H. Kliewer

     Click on the photo for a larger image, "back" to return.
     A link to an area map is provided in the reference section, below.

     And still more from British Columbia:
Gary McCabe met up with this gray Jay while visiting Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. His comment: "They are such beautiful birds and so very friendly, it is easy to fall in love with them!"

© G. McCabe

     Click on the photo for a larger image, "back" to return.

Lappe, Ontario
     Thunder Bay, Ontario boasts the largest Finnish population outside of Finland. Aarre Ertolahti lives in Lappe, Ontario, about 15 miles west of Thunder Bay, and has Gray Jays right in his backyard!
     Aarre has provided photographs and information for various parts of this website (see acknowledgements below). Following is a photograph of a Gray jay he took in early April, 2003: "This one's in my apple tree by the deck"

© Aarre Ertolahti

     On Sunday, May 4, 2003, Aarre also wrote:
     "Saw an adult Gray Jay today behind my place feeding three juveniles. All were flying around together, the juveniles were almost the size of the adult. We also have a Bald Eagle nesting very close to our camp."

     Here are two more photos taken by Aarre in the middle of December, 2005:

© Aarre Ertolahti
(Click the photographs for larger images. Select "back" to return).

Ontario - Algonquin Park
     Moving farther east, the Gray Jay is generally only found in the very northern portions of Ontario except for Algonquin Park. The following is a photograph of a friend of mine, Robert Maske, feeding a Gray Jay at Tea Lake dam in the park.
     Robert Maske retired from owning/operating a resort on Oxtongue lake at the edge of Algonquin Park and is now a neighbour of mine on Clear Lake in cottage country just north of Huntsville Ontario. Robert became quite familiar with the Gray Jay during his proximity to algonquin Park and his aquaintance with the naturalists there. A link to his website inviting guests to visit his "Whispering Wind" Guest cottage is provided in the reference section, below. Unfortunately Robert Maske passed away in April, 2007.

© R. Maske

     Algonquin Park is unique in that it has an elevated dome that rises to 1,800 feet above sea level and provides a "Northern" cool environment with a "coniferous flavour" suitable for the Jays. Moving north of the park, the population actually decreases until the topography, forest makeup, and temperature again becomes sutable for this bird.
     Another distinctly far-northern bird, that has a unique breeding population in Algonquin Park is the Boreal Chickadee. This "southern population" of the bird is tightly restricted to the highest parts of the "Algonquin Highlands".
     Note that although Algonquin Park has provided this special environment for these birds, there is evidence of a decline (at least of the Gray Jay) as mentioned elsewhere in this webpage.
     See "UPDATE" in the reference section, below, for records of my own visits with the Whiskey-Jack in Algonquin Park.

Quebec, Canada
     In mid-November, 2001, we now move further east and north, to a hunting / trapping Lodge in Quebec, where another friend of mine, Bernard ("Bernie") Plourde was photographed feeding a "resident" Gray Jay. The Lodge, "Les Relais du Trappeur", is located at a trap line covering about 40 square kilometres near Lake Kiskissink in northern Quebec. The location is about 290 miles northeast of Montreal, Quebec. Its latitude is roughly in line with Timmins Ontario or about 150 miles north of the latitude of Algonquin Park.
     This was Bernie's first encounter with the "Whiskey-Jack".

© B. Plourde

      Gray Jays are well known in the area and the photographs are a prime example of their familiarity with people. Although the Jays are not banded, I'm told that the owners of "Les Relais du Trappeur" have "pet names" for these birds.
      The second picture is of one of the Jays Keeping watch over the carcass of a rabbit hanging outside of an elevated tree blind used by the hunters. No doubt the Jay was prepared to move in when the carcass was being dressed!
     Apparently, In the fall of 2002, a Jay became caught in a weasel trap and lost its leg. Surprisingly, it has reappeared in 2003. As this bird is easily recognized, it has been named "Suzette". These birds are certainly tough!

AN ALBINO GRAY JAY!
   In late October, 2003, Bernie, along with his nephews, Christian Guay and Daniel Guay, met up with an albino Gray Jay while at "Le relais du Trappeur". Below are some excellent photographs of this bird. The photographs were captured from the frames of a video clip.

© A. Christian Guay

"A sight to see! - never forgotten!"

(Click on the right hand photographs for additional, larger images of the Jay with Daniel Guay. Select "back" to return).

   A search of the Internet did not turn up any other sightings of albino Gray Jays, however Dan Strickland reports that about 25 years ago there was an albino Gray Jay near Eganville, Ontario, that he went to see and photograph. Unlike this Quebec bird, however, that one had a faint sandy brown colour in the areas that are black or dark gray in a normal Gray Jay.
   Since we can detect no such hints of the normal pattern and colouration in the photographs of the Quebec bird so it is more extreme than the Eganville bird and perhaps the Eganville bird would be referred to as only a "Partial albino".
   This albino condition is referred to as "Albinism" and it is not necessarily only found in individuals with pigment-less skin. Some forms of albinism may result in only vision impairment.
   For an offspring to have the albino condition, both parents (not necessarily albino but "carriers" of the "albino gene") must pass the gene on together to the offspring. This results in a 25% probability of such a pair producing an albino offspring.
   A link to a simple and straightforward article on albinism is provided in the reference section, along with a link to photographs of an albino (partial) Stellar's Jay.

ANOTHER ALBINO GRAY JAY! - THUNDER BAY,ONTARIO
   Colleen Laughton provided these photographs of an albino Gray Jay that has been visiting her feeders since Nov. 13, 2003. Colleen lives in Forbes Township, bordering on the Dog River, about 24 km northwest of the Lake Superior city of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

© Colleen Laughton

      Hopefully this jay will survive and Colleen wil be able to provide some further "first hand" observations about it.
      Meanwhile, three more photos, taken on March 7, 2004 may be seen by clicking here ("back" to return).

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DECLINING POPULATION (Gray Jay, Siberian Jay, Sichuan Jay)- GLOBAL WARMING
      According to observations since the 1970's, the Algonquin population ( the "study" population) has declined by over 50% and the trends shown in developed charts indicate that the decline may be continuing. The birds used to live even in hardwood-dominated areas but now live only in spruce-dominated areas (both lowland black spruce and upland white spruce/balsam/white pine areas). Since 1980 the Algonquin mean winter temperature has risen significantly. At the same time the number of young produced by nesting Gray Jays has fallen significantly. This all leads one to the conclusion that the cause is global warming making areas at south edge of the jay's range unsuitable for them, perhaps through increased spoilage of their food stores. Thus the southerly limit of the gray jay's population will recede, the Algonquin Jays will vanish along with those "trapped" in the mountain areas of the USA! this will not initially push the Gray Jay to extinction as it, like it's relative the Siberian Jay (Perisoreus infaustus), occupies a great part of northern forests respectively. It will, however, drive the other relative of these birds, the Sichuan Jay (Perisoreus internigrans) of China, to extinction as it is also "trapped" on the mountainous slopes of Sichuan Province with nowhere to go but up!
      Quite a thorough treatment of this subject is presented in the Spring Issue (April 25, 2002) of "The Raven" publication. It includes a description of Dan Strickland's trip to China to guide the chinese in field-researching the Sichuan Jay.
      Global warming is not the only threat to our ecosystem. Local industrial polution of air & water is also one of many great immediate threats. Check out "A bird in trouble!" in my "Dipper" page - The plight of an isolated ("trapped") population of Dippers in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
      While "researching" this section and looking (unsuccessfully) for a photograph of the Sichuan Jay, I "traveled" (virtually) with Kam Leung to Chengdu and thence about 290 miles north to "Jiu Zhai Gou" in the Sichuan province of China where the Sichuan Jay is found. Kam Leung has documented his travels so very thoroughly and entertainingly that I have provide a link to his website in the reference section at the end of this page. Make sure you visit his site & travel with him to "Jiu Zhai Gou"!

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ALGONQUIN PARK

© R. Maske

A winter's Algonquin encounter

     Algonquin Park is both a summer and a winter land of discovery. The photograph was taken just on the side of highway 60, and the moose are definitely not the "Moose of Toronto"! .
     The park encompasses 2,780 square miles of forests, lakes, and rivers. Its southwestern corner is traversed by the "Highway 60 corridor" which provides ample public access to trails, picnic areas, and campground facilities for the visitor on either day visits or extensive tours. Over 300,000 people will make a day visit to the Park along the corridor
     Along with the physical facilities, there are extensive educational and interpretive programs of interest to everyone.
     The Park even has a 3 km wide meteorite crater in its northeastern portion - the Brent Crater.
      The various programs and enhancements of the park are coordinated and carried out through the efforts of the "Friends of Algonquin Park", which now also includes the publication of "The Raven" newsletter.
     A number of links, with more detailed information about the park, will be found in the reference section at the end of this page.

"THE RAVEN" NEWSLETTER
     "The Raven" is a regular newsletter of Algonquin Park that has been published since about 1960. Russ Rutter was the original author and he wrote it for 13 years until he retired in 1973. Co-author Dan Strickland continued writing and has carried it on to the present. Although both Russ and Dan personally wrote and published "The Raven" for many years, the actual work of publishing the newsletter has now been performed by "The Friends Of Algonquin Park" since 1993. Dan Strickland is also the principal author of many of the Park's ecological trail guides, larger books, and map brochures. A good example being "Birds of Algonquin Provincial Park" which contains an excellent set of photographs of the Gray Jay. Dan Strickland is also co-author of the Gray Jay section of "The Birds of North America", a set of comprehensive summaries of the current knowledge of the more than 700 species of birds that breed in North America.
     Over the years "The Raven" has been such a success that it has been a model for many parks all across Canada. In 1993, the 100 year anniversary of Algonquin Park, the "Friends of Algonquin Park" published an excellent compilation of Raven articles (all written by Russ and Dan!) into one volume entitled "The Best Of The Raven" covering the whole spectrum of flora and fauna of the park. As I had mentioned earlier in the "Birding" section of the website, I would also recommend "The Best of The Raven" along with "The Birds of Algonquin Provincial Park" be included in the list of books to obtain. They are inexpensive books that anyone with a naturalist leaning would enjoy reading and using as handy references.

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THE FRIENDS OF ALGONQUIN PARK
     The "Friends" was established by Park visitors who have realized the value of the exceptional educational and interpretative programs provided by the Park over the last 50 or more years. They wanted to give something back to the Park and so "The Friends" was established as a registered, non-profit organization to enhance and further develop the Park programs and the Park itself. "The Friends" has grown to a membership of over 3000 people, and continues to attract support from around the world as the organization becomes better known.
     In addition to the many ongoing projects that continue from year to year, such as publication of "The Raven", children's' programs, naturalist Trainees, bear, winter bird and wolf research, the "Friends" have also undertaken many special projects:
Algonquin Visitor Centre
Algonquin Logging Museum
Algonquin Gallery
Additional trails
Education Programs
     Books may be purchased directly, or by mail-order, from the "Friends" bookstore and I have provided a website link in the "Reference" section below. As mentioned in the "Birding" part of the site, "The Best of The Raven" and "The Birds of Algonquin Park" are highly recommended.
     Note that membership in the "The Friends" is very inexpensive. Membership provides a discount in the bookstore, and the year's collection of "The Raven" is mailed to each member - excellent reading!.
The "SBAA" Website
     In February, 2005, the "Friends" launched their website "The Science Behind Algonquin's Animals" - "an interactive learning tool for students and teachers which explores the role of science and technology in wildlife research in Algonquin Provincial Park".
     Dan Strickland and his Gray Jay research is one of the features of the website. A link to the site is provided in the "Acknowledgwments" below

     In closing this page on the Canada Jay and Algonquin Park, nothing could be more fitting than a photograph of a Whiskey-Jack collecting feathers for her nest (note the bands on both legs):

Gathering feathers for her nest
Photo by Dan Strickland
(From "Birds of Algonquin Park")
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Acknowledgement and thanks:
     To Dan Strickland for providing valuable continuing insight into the nature of the Gray Jay, and for allowing use of his photographs.
     Many thanks also to Dan for responding to my inquiries about the well-being of WOSLBOYR on the numerous times when I have been unable to get up to the Park.
     Dan Strickland retired in 2000 after 35 years with the park with the last 30 years as Chief Park Naturalist, During those years he was the guiding force in the development of Algonquin Parks renowned natural heritage education program, with its museums, interpretive trails, publications, evening slide talks, conducted walks, children's programs and world famous "public wolf howls". During his distinguished career Dan was responsible for the creation of a comprehensive publication system of over 50 titles concerning the Park's human and natural history, and actually authored most of them. He directed the establishment of the new Algonquin Logging Museum in 1992, and provided the overall theme ( "a window on the park" ) and exhibit content for the world class dioramas of the Algonquin Visitor Centre, which opened during the Park's centennial anniversary in 1993.
     Dan's research on the Gray Jay continues to this day. His home page on the "SBAA" website can be reached here
     and the extensive tutorial on the Gray Jay can be reached here . Be sure to try the memory challenge which tests ones ability to locate food cached by the Jay.

To Stig Linander  of Farum, Denmark, for allowing use of his photograph of a Gray Jay "accepting a donation" from his daughter, Signe.

To Aarre Ertolahti for his photograph of the juvenile and adult Gray Jays in Lappe, Ontario.
Aarre Ertolahti publishes a Finnish language weekly newspaper "Canadan Sanomat " in Thunder Bay, Ontario. and is also webmaster of the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists ( TBFN ). Many more of his photographs can be found at both of these websites.
     He has a section (with photos) on the use of digital cameras at: "Bird Closeups with a Digital Camera" )
      Additional photographs by Aarre Ertolahti can also be found in the "Birding", "Ovenbird", and "Nuthatch" pages of this website.

     Thanks also to Mike Fung, Robert Maske, Bernie Plourde, Suzanne Forester, Colleen Laughton, A. Christian Guay, Steve Howie and Gary McCabe and for providing their photographs and observations.

Bookmark here

REFERENCE LINKS:

UPDATE Visits with the "whiskey Jack" in Algonquin Park, begining October, 1998 and up to October 2007.
SBAA Researcher Dan Strickland's page on the SBAA website.
SBAA project Understanding the Gray Jay.
Memory Test your memory against that of the Gray Jay.
The Gray Jay from "Hinterland Who's Who" at Canadian Wildlife Service. Also check out the complete index of pamphlets. Free sets are available here.
The Gray Jay From Canadian Bird Trends database. Note: Cookies must be accepted in order to get through the 'Disclaimer' page.
Michigan An extensive review of the literature on the Gray Jay written by Matthew Dietz, University of Michigan.
Seattle Stig Linander's website - Gray Jays, Olympic National Park.
The boldest one! "Birds and Nature magazine" 1897 article on the Jay's boldness.
Bridge Lake An area map showing location of Bridge Lake Provincial Park in British Columbia.
B.C. Parks Mt. Seymour Provincial Park (and other B.C. parks)
Whispering Wind Robert Maske's website inviting guests to visit his "Whispering Wind" Guest Cottage and the "North Country".
Along_The_Charles A naturalist website about the Charles River of Boston and vicinity. The author helped Suzanne Forester identify the Gray Jays at White Pass in Washington.
Albinism Albinism: an explanation.
Stellar's Jay Photos of albino(partial) Stellar's Jay - Telegraph Cove, British Columbia, July 17, 2001.
Algonquin Ontario's Algonquin Park
Algonquin Research learning centre The "SBAA" website (The Science behind Algonquin's animals
Friends "The Friends of Algonquin Park, including the bookstore".
Algonquin Adventures From "the Bridgefords of Aurora". This website is a unique "Algonquin connection" complete with maps, message board recounting "first-hand experiences" with many photographs. It's an opportunity to communicate with other Algonquin visitors. Don't miss it!
Brent "The Brent Crater in Algonquin Park".
Logging Logging by Rail in Algonquin Park circa 1930 onward. Excerpts from a video.
Sichuan, China Travel with Kam Leung through China to Sichuan Province and thence to "Jiu Zhai Gou". "experience" the scenery and atmosphere of the region! Don't miss!
Map of China.
Moose A diversion - "Moose in Toronto".

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© Aarre Ertolahti
(Click the photographs for larger images. Select "back" to return).





© A. Christian Guay
*"A sight to see! - never forgotten!"*
(Click on the right hand photographs for additional, larger images of the Jay with Daniel Guay. Select "back" to return).

THE GRAY JAY, ALGONQUIN PARK, (and "THE RAVEN")

ALGONQUIN PARK