| Actual Image
Siberian Jay (58)
Argus
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2707 W: 139 N: 7809]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (24333) | Siberian Jay (Perisoreus infaustus)
This was taken during my trip to the North of Sweden with my son.
We visited a nature reserve that was created after the land owners had started to fell an area of primary spruce forest in the sub-alpine zone of the mountain range in Southern Lapland. A protest organised by the local branch of the Swedish Society for the Conservation had saved it from being clear-felled to leave the ancient spruces harbouring rare lichens and mosses mostly intact.
It is just this sort of boreal forest habitat that is the home of the Siberian Jay, found in the Siberian Taiga that stretches westwards into Scandinavia. Here they build their nest on a branch near the spruce trunk, they feed on insects, berries and seeds and they wander round the forest in small parties. They also hide bits of food in the bark crevices to provide food for the winter.
The WORKSHOP shows a typical habitat shot taken against the light.
This is a juvenile looking very much like an adult. It had landed on a mound of vegetation by the edge of a small bog to chase a small insect. That is when I took this photo.
A few minutes previously I saw it together with two of its siblings begging one of its parents to be fed but with no result. The family was busy flying from tree to tree looking for food. We heard them calling to each other and that was how we found them. Their calls are varied, often cat-like.
They often come to hikers that have taken a pause to eat sandwiches and our presence didn’t bother them much. This was taken at a distance of about 4 meters (13 ft), the image being practically full-frame. As the light was too poor to allow a higher shutter speed, the image shows signs of movement of the jay.
After size reduction this image was selectively sharpened. |
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