As noisy and aggressive as they can be, blue jays are very secretive during the nesting season. They pick nesting sites in thick cover and take circuitous routes through tangles of vines and shrubs to reach their nests. They prefer coniferous trees like pines and cedars for nesting sites when such trees are available. On the other hand, I get mail from urban bird feeding folk who find jays nesting on their porches or in rose trellis near the house where they co-exist with humans. Such close interaction with humans is not unusual among this family of birds.
Blue jays are monogamous, meaning pairs bond and remain together for life.
The male courts the female by feeding her constantly and continues to do so while the female incubates four to six brown-spotted, greenish eggs. Both sexes have the same appearance, and young blue jays are gray-colored until they get their adult feathers. As aggressive as the blue jay is, it is easy prey for hawks and owls when in the open, because it is a slow flier when compared to other perching birds. Its large size, about 12 inches from bill to tip of tail, also makes it an easy target for avian predators. This is no doubt one reason for the blue jay's disdain for owls in particular.