. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1976 OUELLET ET AL.: GRAY JAY NESTING, MER BLEUE BOG followed by another that carried a small twig in its bill. After a careful search, a rudimentary nest structure, consisting of a crude platform of loose twigs, was discovered in a black spruce. Not wishing to disturb the birds further, the observers left the area. The following day, Foxall and Ouellet visited the nesting site and, according to Foxall no material had been added to it since its discovery. Neither bird was seen on that occasion. On 5 March, O'Donnell checked the nest again and noticed that littl
. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1976 OUELLET ET AL.: GRAY JAY NESTING, MER BLEUE BOG followed by another that carried a small twig in its bill. After a careful search, a rudimentary nest structure, consisting of a crude platform of loose twigs, was discovered in a black spruce. Not wishing to disturb the birds further, the observers left the area. The following day, Foxall and Ouellet visited the nesting site and, according to Foxall no material had been added to it since its discovery. Neither bird was seen on that occasion. On 5 March, O'Donnell checked the nest again and noticed that little construction had taken place. The adults were not seen near the nest on these days, nor on subsequent visits on 6 and 8 March. Both birds were seen, however, near the nest on 11 March when more twigs and other materials had been added. The nest then consisted of a loose bowl. On 14 and 15 March, O'Donnell observed both birds at the nest. On both occasions one of the birds was still arranging twigs into the nest structure. Ouellet inspected the nest on 18 March and observed an adult near it. Nest con- struction appeared to be completed but no egg had been laid. When Foxall and R. M. Poulin visited the nest on 23 March, they found two eggs. On the after- noon of the same day, Ouellet visited the nest which appeared to be somewhat more voluminous than on 18 March. It contained three eggs. One of the adults was incubating and proved to be the female (Figure 2). The bird was taken by hand from the nest, sexed (presence of brood patch and absence of cloacal protuberance), and marked by clipping a small portion from the end of the two central rectrices. The male remained at a distance of some 50 m and called frequently. The call was a low whistled raspy "; The wind was strong and penetrating on that occasion and the female kept her tail up almost vertically and into the wind direction, blinking her eyes frequently. She was sitting very low on the nest. Each time the
Size: 1871px × 1335px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorottawafieldnaturalistsclub, bookcentury1900, bookcolle
