This the most colourful in plumage off the crows, is also the one that least frequently allows it’s fine down to be seen in order to full benefit, for and also being extremely cautious, it is much more entirely limited to woodland compared to any other British person in its loved ones. The commonest warning signs of its existence are the crazy alarm phone, followed by the fleeting peek at the white rump since it disappears via thick leaves.
But, just like the magpie, this mistrust of man might be the result of persecution like a pest not just by the gamekeeper, but additionally by the garden enthusiast or fruit-grower. Definitely in places that suburbia has arrived at out to the fringe of woodland (because around Epping Woodland) the jay can become a courageous garden customer, even to the degree of visiting the bird-table.
Since it offers varied preferences in the few vegetable meals, from fresh fruit to peas as well as broad coffee beans, and since, furthermore, it does not simply eat it’s fill, but additionally stuffs it’s capacious throat-pouch before leaving, maybe it’s a much more common garden insect but for one attribute which limitations its depredations-a negative reaction for traversing open nation for even several hundred yards.
Therefore the areas that can be the the majority of regular annoyance are either individuals immediately highlighting woodland, or even those to that intervening shrubbery or bushes can serve as stepping-stones to and from the woods.
Jays often occur in little parties, however seldom within flocks unless some kind of special food supply, for example acorns and, obviously, orchards of celery or cherries, leads to a local populace to concentrate within one particular feeding-area.
The really conspicuous whitened rump, in most varieties (house martin, wheatear, brambling, bullfinch and several waders) a certain indication which at a few period of the 12 months its people associate as well as travel within flocks, therefore appears a unnecessary ‘follow-my-leader’ mark within the case associated with the jay; one should tension here ‘British jay’ because of its continental equal does regularly have to under¬take winter season movements within food-seeking flocks.
Jays are so rarely seen in higher direct trip that in the beginning (especially if the gentle catches the light rump and darkish tail) an event passing at a few hundred ft up might be taken with regard to fieldfares. Such likelihood of seeing this particular bird in an not familiar setting exist in the occasional autumns whenever notable influxes associated with continental wild birds of this varieties take place.
Even though the jay, ably aided by the blackbird, is actually one of the main alarmists of the forest, during the breeding-season this exercises amazing restraint, in most cases slips from its home in total silence from the approach of the intruder.
Within one five-acre walled garden that was in a very susceptible position — bordered through close forest on two attributes and wooded recreation area on the additional two – the jays had been reputed to understand both the duration of the day as well as the days of the 7 days, for these were immediately existing the moment the entrance clicked at the rear of the last associated with the staff because they trooped off to breakfast every day, lunch or even home — and, obviously, just as rapidly absent whenever the human motion was in the change direction.
The just explanation that seems to take into account the punctual appearance on this kind of occasions is the fact that somewhere from the vantage point within the surrounding trees and shrubs at least one individual jay had been continually upon watch, prepared to give the ‘all clear’ from the appropriate second.