ROCK TOWER: On July 26, we shared a photo of a rock tower a reader discovered at Willow Bay.

Rhonda Gray of Bradford told us the type of structure is more common than we realized.

Rhonda writes, “The rock tower at Willow Bay is called an Inukshuk. These human form rock towers were first erected by the Inuit people of Alaska, Canada, Greenland and in the Arctic to guide travellers and welcome them. It served as a ‘friendly person’ to let them know that this passage was good to take.

“These are very common throughout Canada still,” she noted.

She directed us to the Pagan Federation Internat ional-Canada website, which provides more background on the rock structures.

In fact, the word “inuksuk” means “to act in the capacity of a human” and is a symbol of “safety, hope and friendship,” according to the site.

Learn more at ca.paganfederation.org/the-history-and-meaning-of-the-inuksuk/

“Our family has built many of these while on hikes and on vacations,” Rhonda added. “Befitting of our area and our friendly and generous community. And they just look cool.”

We agree.

In fact, Rhonda had a photo of her daughter, Sam, taken in July in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, while she was on vacation with her grandparents.

——rock tower picture——

“This Inuksuk has likely been standing for many decades,” she tells us.

JAYS: While many of the photos we saw of Steller’s Jays showed birds with gray bodies and dark blue heads, Sally Corey of Port Allegany pointed out in “A Field Guide to the Birds of North America” a section that explains, “Birds in the northwest and Pacific coastal areas may have light blue and white forehead feathers and throat streaks; those found in the interior have a blacker head, with white streaks in the crest.”