Santa Cruz Island is famous to birders because it is home to a unique species, the Island Scrub Jay. One of my primary goals of going on the Channel Island pelagic trip, sponsored by the LA Audubon Society, was to get of photo of this species to supplement my photos of the Florida Scrub Jay (see www.ComingsBidrds.com/Florida).
We had one hour on the island. On the way back to the boat I was distracted by the Ash-throated Flycatcher (see that page). By the time I got to the boat dock, I noticed most of the group off in the distance taking photos of a Island Scrub Jay sitting in a tree. I snapped off photos as I quickly drew closer but by the time I got to the prime spot it had flown on. A fellow photographer, Alex Viduetsky, PhD, with the same lens I have, but a Cannon 7D body (twice the cost of my 50D), got a great photo (see Island Scrub Jay Alex).
The unique characteristics of the Island Scrub Jay that distinguishes it from the Western Scrub Jay are a larger size, larger bill, deeper blue color, and blacker cheeks.