Eurasian Jay - Nøtteskrike -
Garrulus
glandarius
Nötskrika
- Skovskade
- Närhi
Throughout much of Europe
the Jay is a common woodland bird; this is not the case in some of the
areas I cover in SW Norway where this species occurs more as an
irruptive
migrant.
Under
normal circumstances this species is generally very uncommon in
Øygarden and is not found on Gullfjell. These two places are
therefore well suited to separating real movement from the general
increase in visibilty this species undergoes in the autumn as they
start hoarding food for the winter.
During some years when the species has a very good reproductive season
or there is a crop failure of whatever they generally feed on in a
given area they move out to other areas. Jays hate flying across water
so that at migration watchpoints such as Falsterbo they can be seen
attempting to migrate a short way but almost invariably turn back again.
In order to reach Øygarden they must cross the fjords but
this
is a short crossing and land is always visible for them. In Jay years
flocks will start turning up any time between 20 September and 10
October. Numbers then drop rapidly but a few can overwinter in the
relatively few areas of suitable habitat in Øygarden where
they probably also breed in small numbers.
On Gullfjell they can occasionally turn up on the slopes together with
migrating thrushes - these attractive birds then make for interesting
migrants.
