Hi all
I've just joined RSPB and the community. While walking my dog the other day, two jays took flight from a tree followed closely by a greater spotted woodpecker. The jays settled in an adjacent tree, but were harrassed by the GSW, and once again took flight. This was repeated over and over until I lost sight of them. Has anyone experienced this?
"I was born under a wanderin' star......"
Jays and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers both visit the large table in the garden where I place food. There is no doubt that a single male Woodpecker intimidates the Jays. He takes up position in the center of the food and stabs at larger birds that interfer with his meal. The much larger Jays usually wait until he leaves. One did dare to approach him today but was sent packing!
The curious thing is that he tolerates blackbirds and the various smaller birds eating a foot away from him, and he crouches down and takes in food with the side of his beak and not by the tip of the beak as the other birds do. I put out sunflower seed, kernels, kibbled peanuts and suet pellets for them.
They have learnt to tolerate my presence as I sit out regularly near the table [even feeding the squirrels out of my hand, who are also partial to bird food]. Living in an ex forestry commision house in mixed woodland for 40 years is a wonderful opportunity to meet the forest wildlife.
I've had a Jay visiting for some time now. It's so lovely to see and so rare for me to see where I live- I'd never seen one anywhere before it visiting my garden! Though orginally it became every day as I'd put the food out on a table in the morning and it soon came down- they are very easily scared off though so I had to carefully watch through the window using binoculars! But recently the magpies have found the table and often get there first, so I'm not seeing it much now. Initially a pair actually visited, but then just one regularly (possibly because the female was possibly birthing?) and now it rarely comes to feed. I still hear it and see it in the garden sometimes but if I then go and put food out it gets scared off. It's not easy to feed- has anyone any tips?
Another interesting fact is they also mimic other birds. I saw my Jay in our garden trees one time and it was singing a really funny song very different to their usual harsher call!
I do get a woodpecker visiting sometimes too on the fat block feeder. That is always nice to see, though I hear her (no red cap) more than I see her also!
were the two jays sat together or did you spot them at a later time?