Jays at the pool
It’s always a thrill to see Jays. They are, however, difficult to see. The most likely reason for that is human persecution. The behaviour of the natural world is a response to the actions of humans as we have cut, burnt, planted, hunted and eaten our way around the planet. In many places the only species left are the ones which avoid us, together with inbred domesticated species.
We’re in a small hide with a reflection pool in Slovenia when we spot a Jay coming through the trees.
They are absolutely stunning close up.
The scrappy, unsure, young Jays seem to have much paler blue eyes, while the older adults have darker eyes.
There’s a lot going on in their feather detailing. Just look at how complex all these markings are:
The closer you get to Jays the more interesting they are. If only we could get closer.
More Jays
Talkative acorn-eater The crow family clearly has more than mourning clothes in its genetic wardrobe. This pink Jay with electric blue wing… read more
How do you get this close to a Jay? How do you get this close to a Jay? They're famously reclusive birds, often only seen after they've seen you,… read more
NA3? Over our dead bodies When I'm in Devon I live right in the centre of town but close to some wonderful green spaces. Large… read more
KillJays Jays are incredible birds. Members of the crow family, they have beautiful pink plumage, a crest, striking blue and black… read more
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #8 The Jay On Day 8 of turning the pages of this Ladybird book I find out that there's one rule for the… read more
Monkey nuts Walking through The Regent's Park I notice a woman with her hands deep in a bag. She brings out a… read more
Jay – forty years ago in my nature notebooks Forty years ago, before I was a teenager, I started keeping detailed nature notebooks. They were full of scientific facts.… read more Jay – forty years ago in my nature notebooks Here's my nature notebook entry from 1976 about Jays: 'You can not get near them,' I said. It's still true.… read more
Jay – forty years ago in my nature notebooks Jays always seem like exotic birds to me. They're pink! They have a crest! They have blue and black feathers!… read more