Garrulus Glandarius -- Heads Up , Incoming Peanut !!
Shot taken for Saturday Self Challenge 03/06/2023 -- Birds .
I know I have clipped the tail feathers a tiny bit and this is not technically a best shot , but getting another capture with the peanut mid flick and into a swallow is not going to happen again anytime soon . The Jay is a very difficult bird to capture at the best of times , it will take flight for any noise or sighting of something a possible risk and it is gone !!
Fortunately for this week’s challenge my garden , small as it is, is quite a haven for the wildlife . I spent most of lockdown out there with the camera , so having birds as this week‘s subject is a good one for me . In the first comment box there are a few other shots from this week .
A highly intelligent loudmouth. The jay is known for its love of acorns which it often leaves hidden. These forgotten snacks are credited with the rapid spread of oaks after the last Ice Age.
The jay has pale pink plumage, a black tail and white rump. Its head has a pale crown with black streaks, and black facial markings and bill. Its wings are black and white with a panel of distinctive electric-blue feathers.
It has a wingspan of around 55cm and is 35cm from tail to beak.
Jays hop around on the ground in search of acorns, and for places to hide them. Storing acorns like this is called ‘caching’ and provides the birds with food in leaner times. However, not all acorns are found again, which means some are left to grow into oak trees. Jays will also sometimes take eggs and young birds from nests.
April is usually the beginning of the nesting period for jays. Pairs mate for life and work together to construct their messy-looking nests. Nests are built in trees and shrubs using twigs, with roots and hair for lining, where the female will lay four to five eggs. Eggs are incubated for 16 days, with chicks fledging at around 22 days old.
Jays are widespread across the UK, apart from northern Scotland, and are active throughout the year. They favour broadleaf woodland but are also found in conifer woodland, scrub and urban areas.
Jays are most noticeable in autumn when they’re foraging for and burying acorns, but they can be seen all year round.
You’re likely to hear a jay before you see it – it has a characteristic ‘screeching’ call. It’s also a skilled mimic, sometimes copying the songs and calls of other birds.
( info from The Woodland Trust -- with thanks )
A gentle tune by the Blue Jays --------
Garrulus Glandarius -- Heads Up , Incoming Peanut !!
Shot taken for Saturday Self Challenge 03/06/2023 -- Birds .
I know I have clipped the tail feathers a tiny bit and this is not technically a best shot , but getting another capture with the peanut mid flick and into a swallow is not going to happen again anytime soon . The Jay is a very difficult bird to capture at the best of times , it will take flight for any noise or sighting of something a possible risk and it is gone !!
Fortunately for this week’s challenge my garden , small as it is, is quite a haven for the wildlife . I spent most of lockdown out there with the camera , so having birds as this week‘s subject is a good one for me . In the first comment box there are a few other shots from this week .
A highly intelligent loudmouth. The jay is known for its love of acorns which it often leaves hidden. These forgotten snacks are credited with the rapid spread of oaks after the last Ice Age.
The jay has pale pink plumage, a black tail and white rump. Its head has a pale crown with black streaks, and black facial markings and bill. Its wings are black and white with a panel of distinctive electric-blue feathers.
It has a wingspan of around 55cm and is 35cm from tail to beak.
Jays hop around on the ground in search of acorns, and for places to hide them. Storing acorns like this is called ‘caching’ and provides the birds with food in leaner times. However, not all acorns are found again, which means some are left to grow into oak trees. Jays will also sometimes take eggs and young birds from nests.
April is usually the beginning of the nesting period for jays. Pairs mate for life and work together to construct their messy-looking nests. Nests are built in trees and shrubs using twigs, with roots and hair for lining, where the female will lay four to five eggs. Eggs are incubated for 16 days, with chicks fledging at around 22 days old.
Jays are widespread across the UK, apart from northern Scotland, and are active throughout the year. They favour broadleaf woodland but are also found in conifer woodland, scrub and urban areas.
Jays are most noticeable in autumn when they’re foraging for and burying acorns, but they can be seen all year round.
You’re likely to hear a jay before you see it – it has a characteristic ‘screeching’ call. It’s also a skilled mimic, sometimes copying the songs and calls of other birds.
( info from The Woodland Trust -- with thanks )
A gentle tune by the Blue Jays --------