Somserset Forest – Hey-Jay!
Somerset forest in Coleraine boats the locally well know ‘trim trail’ which is a series of paths around a mixed conifer and deciduous forest. The forest is under the ownership of the Forestry Service of Northern Ireland.
The area is home to a wide variety of birds. Blue, Coal, Long-tailed and Great Tits, Robins, Wrens, Chaffinch, Black Caps and Tree Creepers which would all be around at various times of the year. However, as far as we know the Jay, which is one of the more difficult birds to see, appears to be fairly widespread and established in this wood.
The normally shy Jay (Garrulus glandarius) is often heard in the forest by walkers but normally only a
fleeting glimpse is afforded. The call is a raucous ‘scraking’ or screech which is unmistakeable.
For those lucky enough to get a full view of this bird, the visual reward is great. The Jay is a colourful crow that is about the same size as a Jackdaw.
They are mostly a pinkish brown, the under parts being slightly paler. The head has a black and white flecked crown, black moustache and white throat. The white rump contrasts starkly with the black tail. The iris of the eye is a pale blue, the bill is black and the legs are pink-brown. The wings are mostly black with white patches but also have striking blue patches, but close to these wing 
patches are actually bands of graduated shades of blue.
Most local homeowners will have caught sight of these birds as they are often tempted down by garden feeders, gathering in confidence if undisturbed as they hunt the ground for tit-bits. Further information is available from these links: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/j/jay/
http://www.walkni.com/Walk.aspx?ID=148
Parking is available close to the cache at the Bushtown Road gate. Please mind the brambles! It may be possible to get 2 cars parked here but please remember that forestry vehicles may require access. Please note that the Cache is NOT located in Foresty property
We wish you good luck and recommend you go on for a walk while you are here!
The cache is a small tab lock box.