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RE: New Year at the birds
I don't even know what jays can eat in our forest. We do not grow oaks, there are no acorns. I planted 10 oaks a few years ago, but they are still small. This year there is a lot of mountain ash in our forests and settlements. But for some reason, the birds don't eat it this year. This is very strange!
Thank you so much for your comment. I guess I'll read about the behavior of jays, learn more about them.
Based on your photos you have plenty of snow already out there. We never have this much snow over here so it is hard for me to say what a jay would feed on in this sort of weather. They are definitely ground feeders. So whatever you leave on the bird table and trays you will easily get them excited about. Here in west London they visit my garden early in the morning. They are crazy about crickets. I personally love their bright blue feathers. When we are sat outside here weather permitting I hear the jays hunting for food messing up with some dried leaves which the wind brought. If you ask me they behave like squirrels, they dig a bit and love to bury treasures. I am pretty sure that you will learn more about jay birds and that you will get the chance to take more photos of them.
You talk very interesting about jays!
But the trouble is that they do not let other birds to the feeder.
None of my friends have seen these birds in our area.
This sounds like a real jay behaviour. They are a member of the crow family and they are quite similar to magpies which you might have come across in your area.
The below photo is from my copy of the Collins Complete Guide To British Birds by Paul Sterry. I wish to take a photo like the one in the left-hand side one day 💁♀️
Yesterday I tried to take a photo like on the right in your picture.
Oh, magpies. I even posted my photos with these girls earlier. I think it's girls after all. They come to me every day. I've been watching them since they started learning to fly last summer.
Make the most of the time the jay is around because you can not be sure if it will decide to stay in your area. Today a shaggy-crested belted kingfisher was spotted in northern England Rare kingfisher sighting in Preston This type of kingfisher has been last seen up north more than a hundred years ago.
You seem to have a nice variety of birds visiting you over there and you take great photos of them. I know from experience that it takes a while to capture them nicely with the birds clearly in focus. Have you tried to improvise a bird hide in your garden?
Let's see which species will have their little ones at ours this year. Last year I got a pair of great tits which nested one side of the house, near the garden shed. Robins had their little one in a prickly shrub, firethorn in our garden for the second year in a row. I also had a family of coal tits nesting nearby. We were lucky to also get goldfinches having their little ones at our family house outside London.
There's a forest next to me. Birds nest there. There are no tall trees in my garden, plus a lot of cats walking around. 3 years ago, the swallows wanted to make a nest in my covered yard, but my cat did not let them do it. The daughter was very upset then.