No, not my flight, though when I was young I did think I’d like to fly a plane, and when I was even younger I used to dream that I could fly like a bird.

No, this morning I put some peanuts in the flat feeder, and that quickly brought in my merry band of noisy bluejays. I swear they sit up in the trees and wait for me to fill the feeders. They always arrive immediately and with great fanfare.

And while I was standing at the window, watching them come and go in the morning light, I realized I could try to capture their flight. They were much too busy hogging the peanuts to notice me.

You need a very short shutter speed to stop those wings in mid-flight, at least 1/2000 per second. If there is sunlight that’s easier to accomplish.

I took 84 images before the sun was hidden by the clouds of the latest incoming storm front. Out of that barely a handful are passable. But I learned a lot and some day I will try again.

I’m sharing them with you now, because bluejays, no matter the fact they are obnoxious, are truly beautiful.

Even if they are little pigs.
March 26, 2026 at 9:23 pm
They are obnoxious because they are so smart. They’re part of the crow family. Keep up the excellent work!
LikeLike
March 26, 2026 at 9:23 pm
They are obnoxious because they are so smart. They’re part of the crow family. Keep up the excellent work!
LikeLike
March 26, 2026 at 9:28 pm
These are wonderful, Dawn. The coming and going photo, especially. Wow!!
LikeLike
March 26, 2026 at 9:57 pm
I love how their feathers and tail are fanned out like that, showing their beautiful weather. That one piggy Blue Jay sounds like he/she is related to a Chipmunk hoarding all those peanuts. Yay – I see some little buds on the trees. It felt like Spring ’til we dropped 20+ degrees when the cold front rolled in.
LikeLike
March 27, 2026 at 12:10 am
That last photo, when I right-click it and “Open image in new tab” so that it’s larger, it looks like the bird is wearing glasses. Goofy, huh. 🙂
LikeLike