Scrub Jay watching us from a backyard chair.

The scrub jay does not fear me. This species of bird follows me around outside my house, fascinated, I guess, by the birdhouses I build, or the water stations I replenish daily. Bird books reveal that the scrub jay is one of the most intelligent of all animals, rivaling the chimp for smarts. In fact, when a jay dies, others of the species will hold a funeral, squawking around the departed for up to half-an-hour.