Western Scrub Jays, Lewis and Acorn Woodpecker and acorn crops

Updated: Acorn Crop Survey Contacts

Recent Tweet about Western Scrub Jay and Acorn crop proves interesting along with Tweet from October 5th, 2010 Vol. 74 Issue 5 Tweet and this one and this one.

"I would strongly encourage anyone seeing Western Scrub-Jays IN AREAS WHERE THEY ARE NOT USUALLY FOUND to report them.."

and

"...although it would explain the invasion of Western Scrub-Jays into areas north of King County, I still believe it has little or nothing to do with this year's Lewis's Woodpecker reports in western WA, as that species breeds almost entirely in areas which don't have any native oaks."

and

"It is much less common (appearance of Western Scrub Jay) in Thurston and Pierce Counties."

Prairie Oak List has indicated that this year was the worst since 1999 for acorn crops in Canada, Washington and Oregon.

It is quite interesting that there *is* OR *is NOT* a relationship between acorn crops and bird residency/migration/breeding habits. An Ecologist with the USDA Forest Service who has been monitoring Acorn crops in Canada, Washington and Oregon has indicated on the Prairie Oak list that:

"I have been conducting an annual acorn survey for Oregon white oak from British Columbia to southern Oregon since 1999. This is the worst production year in the history of the survey almost everywhere."

I wonder further about the relationship between birds and acorns and find it all quite interesting.

(note to self upon a recollection: I will have to search further for a study conducted recently about the distribution of acorns by Jays possibly written by someone in Canada.)