unexpected Jay

a late evening walk over the Wolds to listen out for Quail turned out to be rather chilly and quail free but an unexpected year tick was a Jay which flew out of Turton's covert and across the footpath onto the patch; this species is less than annual (missing years being 1997, 2000 and 2006) with autumn movements accounting for virtually all the usual records after which odd birds have wintered in the park if there has been a good acorn or beech crop; so 149 on the year list the third highest June count to date behind the record breaking 1996 and 2002 totals of 162 and 151 respectively