[birding] acorns and jays

[howard bruner]

Interesting thread on acorns and jays, Lisa and Joel.  I think there might be another reason for the caching and timed retrieval of acorns. I have watched jays dig up acorns that have significant weathering and wonder if the burying is for more than storage.  Perhaps the underground storage processes the acorn in some way (reducing tannin levels)? A subterranean marinate. The western gray squirrels in my neighborhood drive the jays crazy because they watch them bury the acorns and then dig them up and move them to their own cach. H 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web.  Try  Bing™ now
http://www.bing.com?form=MFEHPG&publ=WLHMTAG&crea=TEXT_MFEHPG_Core_tagline_try bing_1x1
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.midvalleybirding.org/pipermail/birding/attachments/20091002/452324b0/attachment.html