"In Ukiah, I see a greater presence of Steller's Jays actually coexisting w/ the scrub jays while competing for choice feeding spots."

I have recently been seeing this too. I used to never see them in the same area, anywhere. Now they both come to my feeders, but the scrub jays aggressively chase away the stellers when they meet each other. Four or five stellers can be eating out there and one scrub will chase them all away. The scrubs are smaller than the stellers, too. But my partner calls the scrubs the "velociraptors," says their expression and manner remind him of the velociraptors in Jurassic Park.

Stellers I have never lived in close contact with before. They have this endearing slightly klutzy quality. Sort of a loose-knit way of moving around that makes me laugh. One of my favorite birds to watch now.

Lat year I saw Varied Thrushes almost every day in the Las Trampas Wilderness and in surrounding towns. This year I haven't seen one.