Seals

There are 33 species of seals and two of them live around the British Isles. Scotland is an important breeding ground for grey seals. Seals are wild animals and will bite if approached too closely. Oil spillages from oil tankers causes havoc for marine life . Sea birds also become contaminated by the oil and get poisoned as they try to clean themselves with their beaks.



Recent news reports have seen a rise in the numbers of seals inhabiting the Thames estuary. Research suggests that hundreds of seals visited in 2014 with some taking in the sites of Central London by swimming all the way up to Teddington lock.





Common seals are very common especially in the waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. They are the most widely distributed member of the seal family and the UK contains 5%of the worlds' population. They are mostly solitary animals but will form small groups when they come out of the water to bask , moult or mate, Their main predators are killer whales and great white sharks.

Jays

Jays are members of the crow family but are actually quite difficult to see. They are  shy woodland birds and don't often move from cover. They give a screaming call when on the move which lets you know they are about. Jays are famous for their acorn feeding habits and are distinctive with  a white rump. They are situated in most of the United Kingdom except for Northern Scotland. They live in both coniferous and deciduous woodland , parks and mature woodland. Jays are easier to see in the autumn as they will be travelling in search of acorns. Their diet consists of mainly acorns , nuts , seeds and insects but also the nestlings of other birds and small mammals.