featured-image

A few months ago, I wrote that there were no birds in our yard despite years of hummingbirds, chickadees, titmice, etc. You suggested they might be mating and would be back soon. We still have no birds, but in March, we noticed scrub-jays flying all around the yard and pecking at the birdhouse to make the entrance hole larger.

At the same time, we noticed that they were building their own nest in the citrus tree, and we destroyed the nest. Now they are actively patrolling the yard and threatening all the birds, screaming at us and pooping all over the patio furniture and our cars. Are there any devices, like silver spinners, that will keep them away but won’t deter the other birds.



Sorry that my prediction about the birds return turned out to be wrong, but at least one species of bird likes your yard, and that is somewhat hopeful. Isn’t it? Before I get into that, though, I need to scold you a bit for destroying the jay’s nest. California scrub-jays are a federally protected bir,d and it’s against the law to destroy nests and eggs.

If the nest was just barely in the beginning stages, you can remove the nesting materials. But if the nest is well underway or complete, you need to let it be. While I forgive your transgression, the jays might not have.

They aren’t as intelligent as crows, but they are very bright, and they take things like that personally. That could be why they are harassing you now. There’s not much you can do to scare away the jays without scaring .

Back to Beauty Page