Cleanup squad.

Last time we blogged about these birds I incorrectly called them Blue Jays because that's a term my late father used to refer to them. Thanks Tim for the correction they are [European]Jay (Garrulus glandarius) Geai des Chênes, a member of the crow family.

They are normally a very timid bird and we usually see them some way from the house but back in February one came and checked out our feeders.

But now they are back in force and when they arrive they scatter the small birds normally under the feeders. This surprised us until we looked on the RSPB site which says they eat birds/chicks and eggs!! We know they like grapes as the year before last, when we had some, they cleared up what was left on the vines.

Thinking pose?

Group pose!

With them being so close it has been interesting watching the way they eat using their tongue to hold the seed before swallowing it.

Great colourful and entertaining birds.