If you take a look at any Oak tree here in Norfolk at the moment you will struggle to find any with acorns. I’m not sure why; maybe it’s cyclical and just happens from time to time, maybe it’s the unusual weather we’ve had here; hopefully we haven’t lost a pollinator of some sort.
Anyway, the jays must be finding it a bit of a raw deal as it doesn’t take a lot of effort to look up and see several flying over at height this week. Irrupting; moving to somewhere where presumably there are more acorns. I haven’t seen any Jays coming in off the sea just moving along the coast so maybe these aren’t continental birds just our own British contingent. So maybe the acorn failure is local. Some amazing groups of 20 to 30 or even more Jays have been seen moving through. Early one morning this week I came across a resting party of ten birds. They soon flew up high and returned to their westward journey.
Letter From Norfolk 