Half the trees in two new English woodlands planted by jays, study finds

Former fields were naturally regenerated with oak trees growing from acorns buried by the birds

More than half the trees in two new woodlands in lowland England have been planted not by landowners, charities or machines but by jays.

Former fields rapidly turned into native forest with no plastic tree-guards, watering or expensive management, according to a new study which boosts the case for using natural regeneration to meet ambitious woodland creation targets.