VICTORY -- FOR THE MOMENT

It's nice to think I might be smarter than the average Stellar bluejay, but I'm not "crowing" at least not just yet.  Just the same, the bluejays are eating sunflower seeds and other seeds the smaller birds (chickadees, nuthatches, etc.) don't want from the ground beneath my bird feeder.

Here is a picture of a Stellar dominating the bird feeder the other day.

During this reign of domination, smaller birds simply stayed away.  (The Stellar bluejay is one of the larger birds in the area, exceeded in size only by the magpie and raven.)  The greedy gang of Stellars, 10 at one count, took over the bird feeder and emptied it in one day.  They gorged themselves and the smaller birds got nothing.

Then I, being somewhat smarter than the average bluejay, devised modifications that twarted the bluejays.  See the picture above. 

Smaller birds are returning to the birdfeeder and the bluejays are enjoying their meal on the ground.  Everyone is happy -- including me.