Jays are brightly coloured crows that can be found in woodland, parks and gardens. Surprisingly shy, their screaming call is most likely to be heard as they fly between trees - watch out for a flash of a bright white rump. Jays eat invertebrates, especially caterpillars and beetles, and are famous for enjoying acorns (and other nuts and fruits) during the autumn; they will cache their finds for later. Jays are present all year-round, but are most obvious in autumn when they have to move about in the open more often, looking for acorns, beechmast and hazelnuts.
The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for all kinds of birds from Jays to Goldcrests, Nuthatches to Whitethroats. You can help too: volunteer for The Wildlife Trusts and you could be involved in everything from traditional forest crafts to raising awareness about birds.
