The screaming call of the acorn planter

FOR a beautiful bird, it has one of the most rasping and unattractive ‘songs’ of the avian world.

I am talking, of course, about the jay. And if you need a reminder of what it sounds like, log on to any one of the birdsong websites and give it a listen. While some of the noises it makes are less offensive than others, hearing the real thing in woodland if you disturb a jay going about its business, collecting acorns, can give you quite a start.

But like the magpie, another species of corvid to which it is closely related and which also makes a lessthan-beautiful noise, the jay makes up in looks what it lacks in sounds.

Catching sight of one the other day in low autumn sun, it was almost shocking in its brightness, standing out like some tropical species against a drab Westcountry autumnal background.

Even though jays are pretty common, it can be quite a shock for some people who see them for the first time. As rather shy woodland birds, they often keep to thick cover. So if you are not a regular birdwatcher and you suddenly and unexpectedly spot one, you might think, for a moment or two, that someone’s exotic caged bird has escaped.

“The screaming call usually lets you know a jay is nearby,” says the RSPB on its website. “The call 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.”

It is that distinctive white rump, along with the iridescent blue on the wings and the pale pink or russet coloured body that marks out the jay. It also has rather beautiful markings on its head and a powerful beak, typical of the corvids, that include ravens, rooks, crows and jackdaws.

At this time of year, under an oak tree at the bottom of the garden, our resident jay is busy collecting acorns and flying away with them. The birds perform a useful service, burying the acorns, forgetting where they have put them and therefore acting as unpaid tree planters.

But they are not only interested in feeding on nuts and seeds and can pose a threat in the spring to other woodland birds, stealing eggs and eating young.

If you are struggling to see them now, while the leaves are still on most of the trees, keep a look out later in the winter when they are easier to spot against bare branches.

And this year, given a generally abundant acorn crop thanks to good weather in the spring, there should be plenty about. Jay numbers are governed to a large extent by the availability of their favourite autumn food and will move in from other areas to eat their fill.