South side, as reflected in a California Scrub Jay’s eye:
There’s intelligence behind that reflection. The smarts and resourcefulness of jays, and corvids in general, are well known. Marla has “trained” a few of these guys to come into the backyard and beg for peanuts. She’ll toss three (in the shell) on the ground and watch one of the birds carefully decide which one to take. It will pick up and drop each one in succession, then maybe retest one or two, and finally make a decision and fly off with the “best” peanut. We think the decision is based largely on weight, but who knows, maybe there are other factors. We find the performance endlessly entertaining. Simple pleasures.
onebreathkohala 