In the last year two I have been seeing a Blue Jay or two maybe once a year. Now for whatever reason the Blue Jays have started moving to Montana. I see a few almost every day, usually two at a time. I have never heard them yet, but I don't know what to listen for. That and the Eurasion Collared Doves are drowning them out.
I guess they have been starting to settle in Billings also.
The ones here are very wild and hard to get a picture of.
Ken

First of all, a very nice picture. It looks like a reflection in the eye to me, but look at his beak! Looks like it is about done for! I've seen a lot of those Jays, but never saw one with a beak like that!
Maybe the beak and the eye are signs of old age!

Country Boy,
What a coincidence, I was also at Okinawa on C-130's in 1967, 68, and part of 69. Acft. 56-475 ,35th TAS!

Great pictures, as good as they get! They are real common where I live. This time of year they sit on the power poles in town (edge of town) and call back and forth trying to find a mate. This is their breeding season.
When I let my 3 lb. Yorkie out at night, I go with it and keep an eye out for the owls. I have seen them catch house cats and my dog is smaller than most of the feral cats in the neighborhood.
Also they are super quiet when they fly.
Ken

Where I live I see quite a few of the Downy's, but have never seen a Red Bellied one!

Nice pictures by the way. I find the Downy's hard to get to stand still for a good pic.

Thanks for posting both of them,

Ken

Good eye Chris. I agree!

Ken

Good eye Chris! I think you nailed it!

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Here in Montana I have never heard anybody call them woodchucks or groundhogs.
The common name here is Rockchucks. Only Easterners call them woodchucks or groundhogs!
I think the official name is Yellow-bellied Marmots.
Of course ours might be another species of a Groundhog/Woodchuck but they look the same.

I see he is just now losing his velvet. A little late maybe. Somewhere in the neighborhood there is a scraped and torn up bush or tree!
He is a nice buck and hopefully he stays in town for his own safety.
Oh yeh, good pic too.

Very nice pictures taken from my back yard---almost!
That picture taken of the red streak on the mountain side out of Gardiner is called the Devil's Slide.
For obvious reasons!

Ken

This old fart will be passing it on!

Thanks,
Ken

I am glad you cleared that up for me. I had run out guesses.

Thanks,
Ken

Neat picture-----what am I looking at? What is happening?

Ken

Not only is it a great picture, but it is taken in Texas where I didn't realize there was scenery like that.

I can see where I need to do some traveling!

Ken

You would be surprised how fast cars can cause a "bear Jam" in Yellowstone. It kind of goes like this--first car sees the bear an her cubs heading across a meadow towards whatever her destination is, and "first car stops to watch. Pretty soon a dozen or more other cars come along one at a time and stop to see what everybody is looking at thus creating a scene like pictured. The mother bear and her cubs keep going where they were heading because they can. They own this place. Especially Grizzlies. Also, there are not many bears in Yellowstone that haven't had human food tossed at them and they kinda like it.
Many years ago, the "bear Jams" got so bad that many bears were removed to the back country of the park. Many didn't return for whatever reason?? For a period of time there wasn't a bear jam in the park.
I think there might be a time when visitor numbers are limited.
If visitors could pick the best time to visit Yellowstone it would be in the Fall---more animals out doing what animals do, and fewer people watching them do it!
Ken