I was going to write about a different bird today but during this morning’s walk in central Cardiff I was approached by a young man who, on seeing me staring at a bush, camera in hand, very politely asked if I might know the name of the bird he’d just seen.

‘It was a bronzey pink with fluorescent blue in its wings. It looked amazing!’ The mention of bronze confused me but, when, together, we retraced his steps and spotted the bird, it was, as I’m sure you’ve already guessed, a Jay.

He had never seen one before, which surprised me, but we had a lovely conversation and I know he will be looking for more Jays during his daily walks from the student halls to the university buildings and back. And that makes me very happy!

Jays have proved very frequent, more confiding and visible during our recent cold weather, a treat I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and taken advantage of with my camera, so the photos here were taken over several days.