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Wednesday, December 20, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Sisters Country birds
By Douglas Beall
Correspondent
That raucous chatter
heard often in neighbor-
hoods across Oregon is what
I refer to as the Western
blue-jay (Aphelocoma
californica).
Originally referred to as
a “scrub” jay, they now have
a larger population within
forests and towns.
This blue-with-a-gray-
back jay inhabits residen-
tial areas in large numbers,
gleaning food from backyard
feeders and trees. Insects,
nuts, snails, berries and bees
make up their main diet.
A six-inch nest is built
within tree branches, where
one to five pale-green-
splotched eggs are hatched
in 15 to 17 days. Another 19
days are required before the
chicks leave the nest. That
is when the real squawking
begins as the young beg for
food.
These jays will plan for
the colder months and cache
thousands of acorns, pea-
nuts and other seeds secretly
around their territories.
Only 30 percent of the bur-
ied food is used during the
winter, so in spring many of
these seeds will sprout and
beget new plants.
A group of jays are
known as a “party,” a
“scold,” a “band” or a
“cast.”
To view more images of
the Western blue-jay, visit
http://abirdsingsbecause
ithasasong.com.
Concert to benefit Sisters shelter
Local musicians will play
at Cork Cellars on Thursday
evening, December 21, in
a benefit fundraiser for the
Sisters Cold Weather Shelter
(SCWS).
The benefit is organized
by Ed Fitzjarrel, who will
play with his duo partner Joe
Leonardi. Fitzjarrel’s com-
pany, Metabolic Maintenance
Products, will match the
funds donated by patrons at
the show.
Also performing are
Doug & Katie Cavanaugh,
and Mike Biggers & Jim
Cornelius.
It costs approximately
$200 each night the shelter
is open, which this year is
from November 15 to March
15. Most of the expenses are
associated with insurance
and the contracted night-shift
monitors.
Donations can be made
— earmarked specifically
for SCWS — online at www.
shepherdshouseministries.
org/donate/scws, or a check
may be mailed to Shepherd’s
House Ministries, P.O. Box
5484, Bend, OR 97708.
Indicate on your donation
that it is for the Sisters Cold
Weather Shelter.
The shelter, which was
launched last winter, rotates
between several church loca-
tions. Services provided to
PHOTO PROVIDED
Ed Fitzjarrel and Joe Leonardi will play at Cork Cellars on Thursday in a
benefit for the Sisters Cold Weather Shelter.
shelter guests include sleep-
ing mats and bedding, storage
bins, hot dinners and light
breakfasts with snacks to go,
hygiene items, donated cloth-
ing, and access to employ-
ment support and com-
munity services. Activities
offered at the shelter include
meals, movies, puzzles,
cards, conversation, and
community.
The shelter has a page
on Facebook, “Sisters Cold
Weather Shelter,” and a
SCWS page on Signup.
com. For information about
volunteering contact Ronni
Duff at ronniduff@aol.com.
For other information email
loiskaping@bendbroadband.
com.
PHOTO BY DOUGLAS BEALL
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