Bird Watching in My Own Back Yard: Photographing Blue Jays in Winter
Updated: May 17, 2023
Contributor Brenda Doherty doesn’t have to go far to capture wildlife with her camera. In fact, she finds one of winter’s great pleasures is in photographing the blue jays in her own back yard.
Photography is a wonderful hobby. I have been taking pictures for about 10 years now. I often go hiking in the woods, camera in hand, on the lookout for birds and animals to photograph. I also enjoy taking macro photos of insects and flowers.
It doesn’t matter what the season. In the summer, I sit right in the middle of my flower garden and wait for hummingbirds and butterflies to visit. In winter, I bundle up and go walking—or even sit—where I think I might see something great to photograph.
I captured this photo of a blue jay one cold, snowy morning as I sat on my porch for more than two hours under a warm blanket. When I finally rose from my snow-covered lawn chair, I was so stiff I could barely open the front door—but it was so worth it.
I love blue jays, especially in winter. The contrast of the beautiful blue against the white snow is just stunning. The jays are also quite entertaining. They have such quirky head movements and are not shy around people, often perching quite close as they hope for the offer of a peanut.
In the middle of winter, when most birds have migrated south, it’s a real treat to have the jays stop by.
Next, check out this gorgeous gallery of “in the backyard” photography.
