Green Jay

Green Jay, Ramirez Family Ranch, Roma, Texas

©Christopher Doddswww.chrisdoddsphoto.com

Canon EOS 1DMKIII, 500mm F4 Lens with 1.4X II Tele-converter

ISO 800, F6.3, 1/1600s Aperture priority @ 0, Flash ETTL II -2+2/3

Green Jays have been observed using sticks as tools to extract insects from tree bark. A group of Jays has many collective nouns, including a “band”, “cast”, party”, and “scold” of Jays.
There was no shortage of these gorgeous, stunning Green Jays while at the Ramirez Family Ranch in the Rio Grande Valley near Roma, Texas. Artie kept calling the place “Green Jay Heaven”. As photographers, we often dream of golden light each morning and afternoon. While in Roma, we were blessed with cloudy, bright conditions each day; much like a huge soft-box in the sky. This allowed us to photograph well past when the light would turn harsh on a golden morning day, allowing us to maximize our time with the broad variety of birds there.