[birding] Western Scrub-Jays Raising two Broods?

[Carl & Christine Schneiders]

Hi Birders,

On May 21st I noted a pair of Western Scrub-Jays feeding five just fledged young in my back yard.  I saw and heard this family for about 3 weeks and after that time period the number of begging calls and sightings of juveniles tapered off.  I figured that the pair had successfully raised the brood and the young had dispersed.  Then two days ago (Tuesday the 21st) I saw an adult Western Scrub-Jay feeding a very recently fledged begging juvenile in the exact same spot I saw and heard the fledglings in May and on Wednesday I saw 2 fledglings with 2 Adults.  At first I figured that the pair of Western Scrub-Jays was raising a second brood.  Though after checking BOGR and another book and finding no reference of Western Scrub-Jays raising a second brood in Spring/Summer I thought maybe the first brood had fallen to predation and the brood I am seeing now is a replacement brood or a new pair of Western Scrub-Jays had moved in and was raising a later brood.  Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Matthew Schneider
Silverton, Oregon
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