Austin seems to be right on the dividing line of a lot of species. I don't get Blue Jays. I get their cousins, the western scrub jay. I also get the western equivalent for the wipporwill(a Poor Will) and a woodpecker. This is my target species for my wildlife exemption, so I am stoked. I have cleaned their nest out of my 22 nest boxes but I have never seen them in the one close to the house before. Maybe I am blind.

like i said earlier they nested in a patch of oak brush. and when the young were hatching or still in the nest they would dive bomb anyone or anything that came close to their oak brush and they carried off extra food and seeds ect to stash every time they came over here to eat. I have found stashes of food in trees and brush close to their territory. But what i like about them is they warn all the birds if a predater shows up cats or hawks or dogs ect and the birds all head into the trees. and they don't like the starlings or red wing black birds and even have a picture of one facing off with a magpie.

Wow, a Western Scrub Jay..sure miss seeing them

Since 2007, I have lived in Charlotte N.C., Cocoa Beach Fl. and Montgomery Al. It has been at least twelve years since I have seen a Blue Jay. Here in central Alabama, I haven't seen "any" since we moved here in April of 2010.So the notion they moved south, has no merit. We have five acres and plenty of bird habitat. Many other species such as the Cardinal and Blue Bird are common here. Something is dreadfully wrong with the Blue Jay population! Growing up in Charlotte, they were numerous in number during the 1960's and 70's. I miss this beautiful bird with an attitude! I hope someone with the necessary training and education will accept the challenge to find out what has happened to this wonderful bird.