I don't think you want either one at the feeders. the other birds don't like them because they are nest raiders.

They aren't there because they are not primarily seed eaters like doves and finches.

Mockingbirds eat mostly insects and fruit ... and eggs and baby birds of other species.

Blue jays collect and store LARGE seeds (acorns, peanuts if you put them out whole), but mostly eat insects and fruits and eggs and baby birds of other species if they find them.

If they are "all over your yard" you must have a lot of cicadas, caterpillars and other bugs out there for them.

A separate feeder with very small pelleted cat food, like Hill's.

It might also attract coons & feral cats though. Most folks I know who enjoy jays just throw a hand full of cat food on top of the roof occasionally. It's safe for the birds, it gets picked up fast & doesn't involve them hanging around a feeder intimidating other birds.

They're smart enough to come by if you feed at the same time daily. Smart enough to even peck on a glass door or scream loudly to remind you if you're late--I have a pal with a troop of jays that will do just that.

Thanks to you both, Lazygardens and bluegirl, I believe you are both right and I will continue to enjoy the mockingbirds and blue jays from the yard. I have two hummer feeders, two little bird feeders and one large bird feeder. Ive been spoiled by having the other birds being so close to the window, they have become personal to the cats and myself, being just inches to a few feet on the other side of the window.

Right now, I have daily visits from about seventy to eighty mixed birds and hummers.

House finches - two females and one male came in early spring, I think they were from last year, but they were new to me, I thought they were some kind of sparrow, I did a goggle search for a red headed sparrow, it came back with pictures and the name house finch, they had seven offspring. They stay at the feeders.

Titmice are my favorite. One set of parents and four youngsters have three females and one male, going by the size of the black patches on their forehead.

Cardinals mom, dad and five young, three males and two females, all hatched in late spring, mom had a large brood this year, seems like they will stay together, papa and momma is always close.

In the early spring we had a good number of blue birds with a pinkish chest, and a yellow finch, haven't seen the blue bird since the middle of spring, any idea where the blue bird went would be helpful. The yellow finch will show up every two or three weeks.

The hummers are another story, I have no idea how many females there are from one day to the next, but there have been at least six males from time to time, since they are in a constant chase with the females, I can get a pretty accurate count on the males, I have had as many as six females outside the window at once.

Thanks again

You're so very welcome.

I have a special affection for jays, although many hate them as sometime predators. They're so smart, they live in family packs, & one year's fledglings usually don't mate, but instead spend the next year helping their parents raise the next brood.

It's a neat system for learning to be good parents. There are also studies that observed young jays caring for their elders or handicapped family members. One scientist documented a healthy mature jay, who could not feed himself because his bill had been shot off. But he was fed by younger pack members stuffing insects down his exposed esophagus.

I've known several handicapped jays well & their cheerfulness, their cleverness, their love of pretty baubles & their amazing vocalizations are very endearing. (yes, they make the most beautiful trills & burbles--not just the "jayJAY" scream)

Mockingbirds are my favorite backyard bird. They LOVE blueberries. They also seem to really like cheddar cheese.

I have finally gotten blue jays by putting out whole peanuts which they love.

I've seen both mockingbirds and bluejays use birdbaths. If you don't have any already, perhaps add a water feature.

We put out unshelled peanuts on the porch, the bluejays come and take them while we are sitting out there!

We do as bigack above with variations to 'experiment', wink, wink.

When we toss two or three unshelled peanuts, one noticeably bigger than the other two, the first jay will take the bigger one perhaps 80% of the time. Toss out four and they loose count, or interest, and will not show preference for the large one.

We do this when the wife comes home and they seem to use garage door to time their arrival.

When I put several unshelled peanuts out on the deck, a jay will often pick one up and drop it, pick another one up and drop it, and finally settle on one, sometimes the first one. They seem to be weighing the shell pack and probably picking the heaviest.

They usually reject a broken shell in favor of an intact shell - maybe the intact ones store better? They always fly off to wherever they hide them and come back as soon as possible for another.

I love to watch them.

Claire

juliet799 quit spamming these threads. You've been reported. all of your posts link to your business. that's not allowed here