Pinyon Jay - Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus

The Pinyon Jay, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus, is a bird that relies heavily on Pinyon Pine/Juniper habitat, so it's a species seldom seen found along the coast.We often see then on trips to the Mono Lake basin, on the eastern slope of the Sierra. Mono Mills, along 120 east of Mono Lake, is often a good spot to encounter a roving band of these handsome blue jays. As we stood on the Mono Mills viewing platform a group of 30-40 Pinyon Jays flew back and forth from a stand to pine trees down to the dry streambed below, foraging opportunistically on whatever food source they had discovered. Photos below taken in sequence at a distance of about 15-20 yards.

The above bird quickly moved to check below the log, perhaps for termites. Note the bright blue of the head, and how the tail is lighter blue that the back and flanks. The bill is fairly long and straight. 

The birds arrived in groups of up to 5 individuals and seemed to enjoy the a non-competitive feast. The frequent round-trips to nearby pines suggested they might be caching food in advance of winter. Next photo barely shows the white streaking in the throat.

Here 2 more of these very blue corvids have just arrived.

The previous day at Crowley Lake (east of Mammoth) Dave Shuford heard Pinon Jays flying at some distance, and our group got to watch about 150 birds flying above a nearby ridge. It's always a bit of a thrill to encounter these nomadic troupe as they roam the interior mountains of our western states. They call loudly as they fly but are relatively silent on the ground and wary of any approach.