Bit of a chill in the air this morning, wasn't there?
It certainly had me reaching for the jumpers. Sadly I've moved house during the summer, and it took me a while to remember where they were! Regardless, it means that autumn is now in full swing.
For our oak trees, it's time to drop their acorns. They may be hoping that, similar to my jumper situation, a forgetful squirrel will bury them and a tiny acorn will turn into a mighty oak. Last week though, I saw another acorn-lover gobbling away: a jay.
You'd think a pinkish-bird with a punk-like crest and electric blue flash on the wings would be pretty easy to see, wouldn't you? But for must of the year they keep pretty well hidden, except for autumn. Now they appear out of the woodwork hunting for acorns, just like in the image below by Richard Revels.
I saw one such jay lurking under an oak tree at our Minsmere nature reserve last week. It was doing just what the photo shows, gobbling down an acorn. They're definitely a jay's favourite food.
Whether your autumn treat is acorns or not, now is a great time to see the changing season. What are you looking forward to?
This image is from RSPB images. Take a look and find your perfect autumnal shot.
For more on our science, check out the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science web pages.