The birds of the genus Aphelocoma include the scrub jays and their relatives. These are New World jays found in Mexico, western Central America and the western United States with a small isolated population in Florida.

The scrub jays live in open pine-oak forests, chaparral and mixed evergreen forest.

The inland, coastal, and Santa Cruz island populations of the (former) western scrub-jay are now considered three separate species: Woodhouse's, the California and the island scrub jays.

The western scrub jay is numerous across the south-western areas of the United States.

This jay inhabits brushy areas of parks, suburbs and especially in scrub oaks. These jays often take mast of oak and other plants from the ground.

Aphelocoma jays are slightly larger than the Blue Jay and differ in having a longer tail, slightly shorter, more rounded wings, and no crest on the head. The top of the head, nape, and sides of the head are a rich deep blue. The bill, legs, and feet are black.

Some species have a white stripe above the eye and dark ear coverts. The breast is also white or grey-white and the back is a grey-brown contrasting with the bright blue tail and wings in most species.

One species, the Unicolored Jay, is blue all over, superficially similar to the Pinyon Jay from much further north.

The juvenile are grayer than adults.

Awake, dress in my spring blues, step out of the jammer and walk to the men′s room to splash water on my face and hands. Then, I return to the campsite and climb back into the jammer and begin my journal entry.

Then at about noon, I set my bird trap, no, not to catch any bird but to capture the birds in both photos and video.

The birds that live here in this part of the Mount Hood National Forest are numerous in number and variety. However, the two species that I am setting the bird trap for are the Scrub jays and Steller′s jays

This Texas hill country park has one of the best bird blinds that I have seen and when I am in the Texas hill country, this is one of my primary destinations.