This is a sad story. Yesterday afternoon, I spied the below pictured bluejay, seemingly sleeping with his mouth open at the top of our chimney. I quickly called my wife over to take a look, and snapped a couple of pictures (click for a larger version).

He looked a bit odd, being all puffed out as you can see, but we thought not much of it. When he opened his eyes and saw us, he fluttered down to our birdfeeders just below. That's when we started to worry.

Because he just sat there on the feeder's perch all evening, still puffed-up and not caring much when we came to the window to look - usually bluejays fly off as soon as anyone comes near. Odd behavior. He was still sitting there when night came. My wife became worried about what we'd find in the morning.

Indeed, I awoke to her shriek (click the extended entry for the sad end).

He had given up the ghost sometime during the night. I don't know why he chose to live his final hours at our bird-feeders. Perhaps he felt the end coming on and decided to hang out one last time at that restaurant with all the good chow.

RIP Bluejay - Tehi neshmato tzurura bitzrur hahayim