As a child, I both loved and dreaded blue jays. Beautiful and fierce, they are a permanent fixture in my summer memories. (See this poem.)
Last year, a pair of blue jays nested in our wax myrtle. They built on the far side of our fence, right over the sidewalk. It was a precarious choice, and I wasn’t too surprised when the nest failed.
Today, a new nest is taking shape. This time they chose the neighbor’s pear tree, a safer and more defensible position. They are using twigs from our wax myrtle, which makes for some fun photos, but I’m content to have them in someone else’s yard. They are, after all, quarrelsome birds.
Okay, that part about being content is a lie. I’m jealous. Maybe the babies will spend some time in our yard, as they learn to fly…
Rae Spencer 
Wonderful images, Rae! I always think it’s interesting how I can tolerate ‘bad’ behavior in animals much more than people. There is almost always something satisfying about it! I love your ‘after thought’ too!
Thank you! I love nature’s naughty children…
Beautiful! Great to look at these images from here in Scotland in the snow.
Thank you!