I know Jays bury acorns...
Posted by Graeme Lyons , Saturday, 29 January 2011 15:51
...but what buries Jays? Giant carnivorous acorns? On a farm survey in Hampshire today I noticed this dead Jay, partially buried in a winter wheat field. Now, as you can see, the bird is partly buried on its back. The field was drilled back in the autumn and the bird doesn't look like it's been dead very long. I doubt that anyone would make such a botched attempt at burying a bird they had shot, it seems pointless. Carrion feeding insects are surely out at this time of year and this would be a bit of a mission for them anyway. So what does that leave? Giant carnivorous acorns or more likely a Fox or some other carnivorous mammal but I have to say I don't really have a clue and I didn't have the time to dig up a frozen dead bird! Comments, as ever, are always welcome! Oh yeah, in terms of the survey, there was very little different from previous visits but I did see the most Brown Hares (4) I have seen on a single farm visit.
Some sort of Sexton beetle maybe? Small, but very good at burying :)