Scrub Jay, Cabrillo National Monument, Point Loma, San Diego, CA

In January I recounted my encounter with the Florida Scrub Jay, or rather the family or tribe of Florida Scrub Jays on the Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. I was amazed at how close they approached…not how close they let us approach…but how close the came to us of their own volition. I was somewhat surprised, from past experience with Western Scrub Jays in New Mexico and elsewhere, to find the the Scrub Jays on Point Loma, around the Visitor Center at Cabrillo National Monument, behaved in much the same way. They have obviously been fed by visitors often enough to lose their fear of human beings. It does make for wonderful photo ops…but maybe not for the best quality of life for the Scrub Jays. Sony RX10iv at 600mm from about 6 feet. Program mode. 1/1000th @ f4.5 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. This is, by the way, only cropped for width…this is the full resolution file. 🙂