My first bird of 2024 this morning was a Blue Jay I heard from inside before I even left the house. So 2024 will be the Year of the Blue Jay for me.
Enjoyed a couple hours of quick birding in the morning, managing 50 species including Mute Swan (new for my all time Jan 1 list) and lingering Red-necked Grebe and Common Loon in the impoundment at John Heinz NWR in Philly.
This is going to be a year of big changes. I will take the Lenape name for Blue Jay (Tiyas) with me as I move up to the land of the Seneca (where it is apparently called the Dí´di) to take a new job later this week.