One recent morning scrub jays greeted me as they usually do at Oscar Scherer State Park. I've been photographing the wildlife and vegetation there because I realize what fragile entities the ...

In this Sept. 9, 2015, file photo, a Florida scrub jay perches on lantana in Seahawk Park, Cape Coral, Fla. UIG via Getty Images.

DEAR JOAN: I have a scrub-jay in my yard that appears to have some kind of foot disease. Do you have any idea what it is? Sharon Waterman Bay Area DEAR SHARON: From the pictures you sent, I’d ...

A Florida scrub-jay rests on the head of Navya Sharma, a senior at Seminole High School, during a recent visit to Lyonia Preserve in Volusia County.

Glen Woolfenden climbed out of his 4-wheel-drive vehicle, hiked through the thick sand and stopped abruptly at the edge of the dense vegetation. He looked out at the wilderness and began ...

Florida scrub jay (Getty Images) It’s the only one of the state’s many native birds that is found only here, giving it a competitive edge in the battle for the top spot.

A western scrub jay photographed at Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center in Merlin, Oregon Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark Please be respectful of copyright.

She’s taken plenty of pictures and even documented nearly 25 sightings.“Almost every time I drive out there, I see at least one scrub jay,” Hunt said.

The Florida scrub jay caches about 4,000 acorns annually and remembers where each one is buried. “I can’t remember where I put my car keys yesterday,” Thaxton joked.