A Jay came to visit

[ColinM]

I should start by saying the technical quality of these images isn't as high as I'd like, but I am just so pleased that this bird has decided to start visiting our garden here in the UK.

I don't see them very often and when I do it's usually somewhere out in the country and away from habitation. This one seems to have followed the other birds (and squirrels) into our garden to raid the bird feeders.

Disclaimer - taken around 06:00 so although sun was up the garden was in deep shade. Also the bird spooked at the slightest noise so I had to take this through two layers of glass (each of which need cleaning). Final result with 300mm F4, plus TC1.4 D300 ISO800



Hope you like it - for those of you living elsewhere, is this a bird you've come across in your country?

[Mike G]

Colin, a super Jay, I occasionally get one in my Middlesex garden but as you say they are very easily spooked into doing a flyer. Sadly they are also mercilessly harassed by Magpies! 

[Fons Baerken]

he goes for the lilies it seems

[armando_m]

Always exciting to capture a bird that is not commonly seen

I think if you add contrast to the bird the image looks significantly better

[ColinM]

he goes for the lilies it seems

Hi Fons, actually he'd just taken a beakful of peanuts and was having a swig of water from the Lilly tub.

[ColinM]

I think if you add contrast to the bird the image looks significantly better

Thanks Armando, I will have a look at that.

Meanwhile here's one taken last Christmas Day (don't know if it was the same bird) again struggling with low light/higher ISO than my D300 was really comfy with

[ColinM]

I realise I need to get some better images than these. Though I'm happy with the composition of the first one, it isn't sharp enough.

I may soon get the chance it seems. This morning I heard more squawking than usual from the garden and was surprised to see five Jays hopping around playfully! Not sure yet but we wonder if this might be two parents plus their offspring. They are very wary of unexpected movement or sound, plus unpredictable on when they visit, so it could take a while to take some more shots.

he goes for the lilies it seems

Well you may have had a point Fons. Today only one or two birds were feeding from the peanut feeder. One of the others sat on the tub and pecked & pulled at the lily flower for a while. I think it was just experimenting and wonder if it is yet to learn how to get its own peanuts.