On June 6, 1833, John James Audubon chartered a 70-foot schooner named Ripley to explore the Atlantic coast of Canada. The expedition ended on August 18 when Audubon and his fellow explorers were taken ashore to hike the rest of the way to Pictou, Nova Scotia. The solid ground and the sounds and calls of crickets and Blue jays and the sweet smell of fresh cut hay during their nine-mile walk to Pictou was the medicine they were needing from weeks of exposure to severe weather, sea sickness, and close quarters aboard Ripley.
Plate 102 – Blue Jay
Plate 102 of the first edition of "Birds of America" by John James Audubon.