Flock Only: Finding Peace Through Blue Jays

Dear Flock,

One of the perks of my “job” is that I get to know many of you over email. You continue to inspire me in ways you honestly cannot even comprehend, and I feel incredibly lucky to have such a wide circle of friends — even if we’ve never met. #PRIVATE#Some of you tell me that you “feel you know me” because you listen to the Our Hen House podcast. And, well, you do know me. And though my level of intimacy in knowing you might not be as strong, I feel honored to know you a bit, too.

One flock member with whom I’ve corresponded is Beth Lily Redwood — Kansas-based photographer, and a regular contributor to our This Animal On This Day series (see the right sidebar — and please submit!). Beth, who inspires me with her positive outlook and her commitment to using her talents to change the world for animals, recently sent me a series of photos she took that she likes to call her young Blue Jay “blackberry saga.” The photos of these precious birds touched me deeply, reminding me of the pure truthfulness, beauty, wonder, and mystery inherent in the animal kingdom. Not to sound all crunchy-hippie, but in a rare moment of meditation later that same day, I found myself picturing these completely adorable Blue Jays, and smiling so big. That feeling of peacefulness stuck with me, and so I asked Beth if I could share these photos with you. She said sure.

Before you look, here are some of Beth’s feelings about the series:

When we look closely at images of nonhuman animals, we recognize ourselves in them. Their facial expressions and body language convey thoughts and emotions we intuitively understand. Our empathy naturally embraces them. In this series of photos of two fledgling Blue Jays competing over a delectable blackberry, their similarity to humans is unmistakable.

Enjoy!

xo jasmin

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