Just seen a ...

[cupid04]

Jay fly over my garden. Landed in a tree about two gardens away. Got quite
excited, they are quite a rarity where I live. I live in a rural village but there is
no woodland close by. I thought they were mainly woodland birds.

[chaptazbru]

I sometimes see one in my local park. They are quite shy and hard to spot. It's always a thrill to see one !

[Kiki-frog]

They are so stunning, aren't they! Until they start squawking at each other, that is. We get them raiding the fruit trees in the autumn, but I'm not sure what they eat at this time of year.

[cupid04]

I have seen adult with youngsters before in a park which has plenty of trees.
I had a bag of nuts with me for the squirrels, but the jays got their fair share.
They can be quite tame. Beautiful colours!

[chaptazbru]

I wouldn't have thought they were tame cupid, always try to hop away whenever I spy one in a tree. Mind you I've never acttually put food out for them, maybe that would alter things. I'd love to see one with youngsters, only ever seen solitary ones.

[shoota]

They will go anywhere in search of a nest of songbird chicks to raid......

[cupid04]

Does that mean I'll have to add them to my list of birds I'm not keen on. Our
garden birds seem to do a lot of squawking at the mo because there are two
magpies getting close to the nest. the noise is horrible.

[ladybirder]

kiki - but I'm not sure what they eat at this time of year.

Sorry to have to tell you this but the answer is other birds babies!

[chaptazbru]

They are members of the magpie family after all. Poor songbirds, they don't half have it hard.

[shoota]

Magpies, jays, crows - all corvids - nest raiders and eaters of flesh!

[shoota]

And eggs.

[Frank97]

I get them visiting my bird table most of the year as long as there's some peanuts out for them, beautiful creatures up close.
Here's one I managed to snap last year
http://i791.photobuck...s/yy197/D97x7/088.jpg

[maggiebee]

I have a golf course and woodland near where I stay. Occasionally have a jay in the garden, but usually just see a flash of colour. Beautiful birds.

[chaptazbru]

D97 what a fabulous photo !

[Kiki-frog]

ladybirder - oh heck yes, if I'd thought about it I would have realised that. Yuck. Of course, they're closely related to the murderous magpies aren't they.
:-(

[ladybirder]

Corvids are such a successful group of birds, all clever and intelligent and take no prisoners.

[Frank97]

Thanks chaptazbru!

[maggiebee]

D79, that's a beautiful photo.

[tonyav]

They are a member of the crow family, nice colours on a Jay.

[chaptazbru]

Did you see D97's pic tony - fabulous .....

[crisper]

Hiya Cupid... we saw a Jay in our garden last week... I feed the birds here... I put the seed on our garden wall, so they can see anything unwanted coming,and get away easily... I live on an estate, so was really suprised.. very pretty bird...on a sad note though... the crows got all the pigeon babies that were in the nest in a tree in our garden!.. shame : - ((( Mrs C xx