Faux Peanuts

Yesterday afternoon, I sat outside processing highbush cranberries and noticed some movement out of the corner of my eye. Then a Steller jay hopped across the porch railing very near me. I ignored his begging, since we'd already given them their daily ration of peanuts earlier in the day. I continued my work. Again, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him hopping around on the deck to my left. Then I heard a little clunk, and looked up. He'd dropped a small rock on the floor of the deck and was sitting next to it, eying it inquisitively. The rock was shaped exactly like a peanut in the shell, same color and size. The jay had picked it up, thinking he'd found another peanut. Obviously, it was not what he wanted. But, he HAD figured out a way to get my attention and my pity. I threw out a handful of peanuts for him.