rickbacker@compuserve.com (Bill Lenhart) sent this comment:

Gray Jay

I have been observing Gray Jays in the Adirondacks for several years now and here are some things I found.

Birds will not beg for food unless they have learned to associate humans with it. Places in the park where there is much bird/people interaction is where Gray Jays will show up begging. However, in other places less frequented they will not (this observation being in line with Gray Jay expert Dan Strickland Chief Naturalist of Algonquin Park, Ontario)

Gray Jays will join forces with other Corvids to mob predators as was witnessed one fall day when 3 of them and 5 Blue Jays interacted to drive off a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Gray Jays are probably more common in their specific habitat than people realize, they go undected easily due to their lurking about in thick spruce and lack of frequent vocalizations. Being territorial, however, they have never failed to respond to a taped call of another Gray Jay (taking care to insure taped call is played ONLY out of the breeding season).

Juvenile Gray Jays have been observed begging for food from adults as late as September. They cache food much like Blue Jays storing food (ie., white bread & peanuts) initially near source then further away in successive trips.