I was sitting on the porch one morning having a cup of coffee and watched a Stellar Jay torment our cat. The Jay was sitting on the eave of the garage watching the cat prepare a hole to do his morning business. Just as the cat got it to perfection and turned around to use it the jay swooped down just out of reach and the cat leaped messing up his hole in the process. The jay landed on the bird feeder and went back to watching. Same thing, cat tidied the hole and got ready to use it and bird swoops past again. This happened five or six times before the cat finally quit leaping at the jay. It was a riot. They de3finatly have a sense of humor.
That is a good story. I can see it play out in my mind. Totally believable! Birds are capable of both gratitude and revenge.
Yep...Jays used to fly into my kitchen for a bite to eat!
I like those guys.
Jays are super smart, yes. Very very smart. Several of them lived in one of our oak trees and they would let Dad feed them walnuts and cheese, right from his fingertips. But, one jay was waiting for Dad’s cat to go to sleep on the warm concrete... and then the jay would sneak up on the cat and squawk or even peck kitty’s behind....to wake her up.
Kitty was very upset, especially as this playful behavior continued day after day after sunny day....
until one fine afternoon, Kitty only feigned sleep. Jay snuck up to have his fun... and Lo and Behold! Kitty executed an AMAZING VTOL leap straight up (from a fully prone position flat on the concrete)... about 4 feet into the air, then did a very quick 180 degree rotation and... landed right on top of the startled jay. End of bird. (Kitty didn’t need us to feed her lunch that day, either.)