Blue Jay Clinging to Post in Falling Snow

A blue jay grips the side of a weathered wooden post, its body angled outward and its head turned in profile. The crest is blue, a black line runs across the eye and around the throat like a collar, and the chest and belly are pale grey-white. The post has a dark knothole, patches of peeled bark and warm brown streaks. Snowflakes drift through the air, and the background has dissolved into soft grey and white, with a hint of a snow-covered roof at the upper left.

The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a common bird of eastern and central North America. It stays in many northern regions through the winter, and it often visits feeders and wooded edges. Jays eat acorns, nuts, seeds and insects, and they are known for carrying and caching nuts. They are also loud and varied callers. This one was observed in Maine, where cold, snowy months are typical. The soft grey backdrop and the off-centre bird leave open space on the right, so the image suits a landscape desktop monitor, where icons are easy to place, and it also works on a wide laptop screen.

More like this: Steaming Winter Shore with a Grazing Bison.