They are really social and act almost like a primate. A lot of fun to watch them interact with each other.
They will pick up one, then put it down and pick up another, and so on, sometimes going back to recheck one, until finally deciding which one to fly off with. They are quick picky.
When the last peanut is gone, sometimes I put out more. And sometimes then I'll see one or two of the jays come back, still carrying the peanuts they had from before. They will put down the old peanut they brought back, and then go through the whole selection process again.
My place has some nice trees and shrubs so I think they were already comfortable in the yard. I don’t really see many feeders elsewhere in my neighborhood but I’ve passed a few houses where I’ve noticed significant bird song and I’ve seen a few houses with bird houses.
I think a lot of it comes down to the vibe you give them. I spend a lot of time thinking about how they interpret my actions so that I don’t scare/annoy them. Small things like slow movements, not staring at them, letting them dictate the encounter, etc.
When I was a kid, old ladies would sell grain in plastic cups for people to throw to the pigeons. The moment you poured some grain on your hand, you were suddenly surrounded by a hundred birds. It was an attraction for both tourists and children. I haven't seen that practiced in a decade or more, I suppose feeding the pigeons became illegal at some point.
May be worth looking into! They suggested mixing ground-up calcium supplements into the beef.