Catch and release

I found this Western Scrub Jay trapped in the chicken coop yesterday, flapping desperately against the chicken wire. Months of wrangling parakeets has made me an adept bird catcher, and I snagged this one in just a few seconds. The jay was a much kinder captive than the parakeets--rather than pecking angrily at my hand, he just watched me calmly.

We snapped a couple of photos and let him go. Once released, he flew to nearby trees and squawked loudly. "Nice," I thought, "now I've got a friend in the corvid family."