Autumn Jays The reporting rate for Jay routinely climbs at this time of year, as birds make regular foraging flights to collect and cache food for the winter. However the reporting rate for the first week of October was the highest ever recorded in BirdTrack, reaching 39 percent. On average, Jays appear on 27 percent of complete lists during that week. High-flying birds and large numbers were noted in many unusual locations, primarily in south and southeast England. In Kent, for example, several flocks—including one of 34 birds—were seen coming in off the sea, and at least 668 passed over Hunstanton, Norfolk on 6 October. Such observations hint that some of the Jays being seen may be of continental origin. The picture is complicated by native birds dispersing from breeding areas in search of food, however, as the acorn crop seems to be very poor in some areas this year. Interestingly, the reporting rates for Wales and northwestern Britain for the same week are no higher than normal.