Blue Jay on the Balcony

I have always loved watching birds. We even had a few parakeets when we were growing up - white, green, blue - and the last one was Ringo who was trained to do all sorts of things. Whenever we go for walks I am always on the lookout for them. It’s a treat to see a blue heron in our neighborhood park or in Constitution gardens in DC. We had a small patio garden on Capitol Hill and the birds loved our bubbling solar powered bird bath. It was fun to watch the cardinals stop by along with all of the other feathered friends. Since we moved to northern Virginia we have a small balcony with some flower baskets. The crows have certainly found them interesting and oftentimes steal pieces of the coco liners. They also like to store things in the baskets. I’ve had stare downs with a few of them. We have also had an occasional pigeon and small bird. But it was with great surprise that my husband pointed out the blue jay that was hanging around the other day. He was trying to store something there and actually stayed around for longer than most. Usually once I am seen in the window they are gone. But I was able to take a few photos - not the best - but I was happy to have captured the critter trying to get by unnoticed. So it’s nice to see our feathered friends once in a while - even if it’s a nasty blue jay! 

Horses, Squirrels, Birds and Fall on the National Mall

This is the first day we had to wear jackets and gloves for our morning walk. It was unusually quiet too. Sunday is always less busy in our neighborhood, but there was something in the air. A lot of the gardens by the Smithsonian buildings have been pulled up and are being replaced with seasonal plantings. I heard the cardinals in the Hirshhorn garden, and caught one standing on the wall. They are my favorite bird and I knew his partner was close by. Along the Mall were park police atop two imposing and beautiful horses. It’s been a while since we have seen those incredible animals. And of course the squirrels were scurrying everywhere. There was a chubby one munching on his latest find getting attention from all the passers by. These squirrels are constantly interacting with visitors and having their photos taken. Almost home we heard the blue jays squawking in the Botanic Garden, hiding in the leaves so I couldn’t quite get a clear shot. This summer was exceedingly hot, so this cool air was a shock to the system. One tends to walk a lot faster when the season turns to fall. But not so fast as to stop looking at all the lovely things around us. 

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