I’m not usually good at making friends, but I think I’ve figured out a really good life hack in this area.

Peanuts.

This may only work if you’re making friends with a blue jay, though.

I’ve always found blue jays a little annoying. I mean, they’re beautiful birds (even if a certain baseball team has given their image a horribly commercial feel), but their voices are a little harsh. Jarring. Screechy. If you get a bunch of them in your yard together you’re probably going to end up with a headache.

The Canada jay is more my speed. I fell in love the first time I met one, a cheeky little thing on at a wildlife park who was observing the humans as we looked at the more captive animals. Absolutely the cutest little thing, but we don’t see them in our yard.

We do have blue jays, though. One pair, though I usually only see one of them out. Going out on a limb with an assumption here (and knowing that the bird absolutely does not care), I call it “he” because I read that his lady-friend is probably spending more time on the nest these days. Over the past few weeks the little fellow and I have been interacting in tiny ways.

And the thing is, this bird I thought I didn’t like much became really interesting when I started paying attention.

We met on a day when I was reading outside. He was flying around the front yard, and I realized after a while that he was watching me. He came as close as the lamp just a few metres from where I was sitting to get a closer look.

So obviously, being a good neighbour, I tossed a few peanuts out for him. He accepted, and a good time was had by all (I assume).

After that I saw him when I was out reading on a few other days, or I’d spot him sitting in the tree letting the cats watch him through the window.

Over the past few days my friend has grown bolder, and I’ve caught him watching me through the kitchen window when I’m cooking or making coffee. He flies away as soon as I look, but I hear his wings and catch the dark shape of him as he makes his unnecessary escape.

And then I take a peanut out, of course. He’s training me very nicely.

Today, another step: I took a treat out to leave on the back deck and saw him watching from a nearby tree. I said hello and left the peanut, and as soon as I turned my back I heard him swooping down to take it, not waiting until I went back in the house. It felt a little like trust.

That, or his observations have led him to believe that I’m too slow and dull to turn and catch him, which is also valid.

Either way, I’m having fun with this, and I count it as one of the lovely things that came out of me taking a few weeks to decompress, be more present and observant, and spend more time away from my desk.

I guess it’s a strange thing to be happy about. It’s just a wild bird doing what wild birds do when it comes to delicious treats.

But now that I’m paying attention, I’m seeing how cool these birds are. They’re as curious and cheeky as their cousin the Canada jay, they’re fierce defenders of their territory (you should see them going after the local crow family!), and I believe everything I read about them being intelligent creatures.

Things can become fascinating when you start to learn about them.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure making friends with a wild bird has put me on the path to being a Disney Princess. If anyone knows where I go to sign up for those squirrels that will help me do the dishes, please let me know.