Jays

 This morning a flash of color flew beside us in the calm blue, post stormy sky. At first I thought it was a wood pigeon, but the bobbing flight pattern and the way the bird stuck its wings right out to reveal the blue stripe underneath gave it away, it was a Jay. It has been a while since I have spotted the any of the Jays on Long Road. I think there is a pair and I think they live in the Oak tree half way down on the field side. May be they are easier to spot this time of year with the diminishing foliage.

Jays are one of my favorite birds, along with Goldfinches and Long Tailed Tits, and I still feel a thrill when I see one.  This is what the RSPB has to say about them,  their inherent shyness may have something to do with my failing to spot them for some time.

Although they are the most colourful members of the crow family, jays are actually quite difficult to see. They are shy woodland birds, rarely moving far from cover. The screaming call usually lets you know a jay is about and it is usually given when a bird is on the move, so watch for a bird flying between the trees with its distinctive flash of white on the rump. Jays are famous for their acorn feeding habits and in the autumn you may see them burying acorns for retrieving later in the winter.