Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus

Late yesterday a large flock of Pinyon Jays swarmed through the back yard just after sunset (after I would normally be prepared to take pictures). I took some pictures of them, through a window, but the pictures look like they were taken through a window. So today, and when they came by again this evening, I was ready. There were about 25 birds in the flock, very noisy, swarming the seed and peanut feeders, and drinking from the pond. These birds are a soft pastel blue almost all over, with just a little white markings on their throats. Some were much bluer than this one. This is the first year I can think of seeing them in the back yard, once houses were built up all around us. They normally stick to more open fields.