If you’ve heard a harsh screech on the streets of East Finchley recently, you may have been listening to a Jay.
According to several correspondents, there are a lot of them about.
Smaller than a woodpigeon, the Jay has a pinkish-fawn body,
a distinctive black ‘moustache’, a black tail and white and blue patches on its
wings. Despite being the most colourful members of the crow family, Jays are
more often heard than seen as they are secretive birds. However, there have
been sightings on streets and in gardens recently as nesting pairs have been
busy gathering materials.
Although they are woodland birds (Coldfall Wood is an
excellent place to see them), numbers in the suburbs have risen in recent years
– and as that
photo on the back page of the February edition of The Archer showed, East Finchley
is nothing if not tree-lined!
Jays are best known for eating acorns, which they store in
the autumn so they can eat them all year round. However, they also eat insects,
beetles and even the eggs and nestlings of smaller birds – something for which
they are considerably less notorious than their cousins the Magpies. As such,
they may well have a negative impact on smaller birds as they will be looking
for more food with which to feed their young at this time of year – although I
have been told by a fellow-resident who’s had some in her garden that Jays
themselves can be victims to persistent Carrion Crows in this regard.
No comments:
Post a Comment