In Search of... My Elusive Blue Alarm Clock

In the past month or so, I've been awakened twice by a blue jay tap-tap-tapping on my bedroom window sill. The bedroom is right next to my office, where my computer desk sits right next to another window on the same side of the house. Ever since the first time it happened, I've been trying to catch a picture of one of these "natural alarm clocks". I used to think there was only one, or maybe a pair of them. I had seen two of them at a time, now and then...but every time I tried to get a picture of one, it would flit away just about the time I was going to snap the picture.

Our propane tank is right outside the window here, and there is some shrubbery next to it. This is where they like to hang out. Maybe it's warmer there around the tank? Anyway, I had gotten a couple of not-so-great pictures of them underneath the tank...but they're kinda hard to see.

Well, this morning I really hit the jackpot. There were two males and one female on the small trees right outside my window. I grabbed the camera...and my batteries were dead! Okay, so I go put get new batteries and come back to the window. I was not able to get more than one bird in the photo, I've discovered they just don't sit still long enough for me to even focus, but I did get this:

Not bad, for being taken through a window with a plastic insulator kit on it, huh? After I got that, I noticed a 4th blue jay in the trees that are along the edge of the property here. There was a squirrel chasing him from tree to tree to tree! This went on for quite some time, and I wondered why the bird didn't just fly away. Was he enjoying teasing the squirrel? Was he defending his territory? I don't know, but it was quite amusing. I know, sometimes it doesn't take much to amuse me.

Well, I suppose I have about a million things to do before tonight, so I'd best quit bird-watching and get to work. We have Ladies Night Out at church tonight, but first I have to help set up for the derby tomorrow morning. After the derby is our CousinConnection get-together on Saturday evening, where we're doing the karaoke. We just purchased a bunch of new karaoke discs and I've been trying to make copies of new song lists for each book. However, Jessica and I have used up all the black ink in both of our printers already...so I guess each book will not have the new song additions in them...yet.