igiS. Notes. 131 



Jays feeding: on Wheat. 



There is probably nothing very remarkable in the fact that Jays 

 should visit the wheat-fields at this time of the year and partake of the 

 harvest, provided that it can be done with safety. I have been much 

 interested for the past fortnight (September 1-15) in watching these 

 foraging expediti ns almost daily, and the manner in which they are 

 carried out seems very characteristic of the bird. A large field of wheat, 

 which had been cut and was in " stooks," was the scene of all my 

 observations. It sloped down rapidly to a river which was about twenty- 

 five or thirty yards in width, and along the bank there was a row or two 

 of very fine beeches, the lower branches of which were about nine feet 

 from the ground. Close to these there were several " stooks " of wheat. 

 Across the river on rising ground were the woods of Castlecomer Demesne, 

 where I had frequently seen and heard Jays for some months past. The 

 expeditions were always organized well in in these woods on the high 

 ground. One or two birds there would utter their harsh cries for a few 

 seconds, these would be answered from various parts of the wood, and 

 by their cries I could make out that the birds were all making for the 

 rendezvous. Then there would be a regular chorus lasting for a minute 

 or two ; then a dead silence, and I knew the birds had set out and I had 

 better take cover. After a few minutes the party could be seen advancing 

 from tree to tree, keeping in cover as well as possible and avoiding open 

 spaces. The party nearly always flew singly, a bird would flap across 

 an open space, and just as it regained cover a second would follow in 

 practically the same line, and so on. On only two occasions did I see 

 two birds crossing an open space at the same time. In this manner 

 they worked their way across the river and into the beech trees over the 

 wheat. Then the leader would drop down on a " stook," take a very 

 careful survey around, and if all was right the other birds would follow. 

 On o e occasion I purposely allowed myself to be seen though I remained 

 motionless. The leader as he dropped on the wheat spotted me. He 

 perched on top of the " stook," very alert, for fully two minutes watching 

 and then silently flew back into the branches overhead, and in a few 

 minutes I saw the party, on this occasion consisting of eight birds, 

 recrossing the river in single file. If. when feeding, they became aware 

 of some danger at a distance they would recr ss the river, as I have 

 described, silently, and in order, but if they were taken by surprise they 

 retreated in haste and disorder, and general]}^ uttered angry cries at 

 first. The part}'^ varied in numbers ; on one occasion I counted twelve 

 birds, whilst on others there were only five or six. Once a single bird 

 came but it was knocked over by a Sparrow Hawk, and had I not run 

 to its assistance would have been killed. The regularity of the whole 

 proceeding was what struck me most. First the assembling in the wood 

 with harsh cries, then the absolutely silent passage between the wood 

 and the field, the regular order of the advance and of the retreat if the 

 birds were not frightened. I never saw any of the birds out at a distance 



