Daily Postcard: A Pinyon jay makes a ruckus while pecking on a pinon pinecone in a tree Tuesday in White Rock. The Pinyon jay is a jay between the North American blue jay and the Eurasian jay in size. It is the only member of the Gymnorhinus. This species is listed as vulnerable because of evidence for rapid population declines, presumably as a result of the conversion and degradation of its piñon-juniper woodland habitat. Source: Wikipedia. Photo by Nancy Ann Hibbs

Pinyon jays like this on pecking on a pinon pinecone Tuesday in White Rock are highly social, often forming very large flocks of 250 or more birds, and several birds always seem to act as sentries for the flock, watching out for predators while their companions are feeding. Photo by Nancy Ann Hibbs