Tuesday 17th November

A squawk from a Seagull high above Sea walls alerted me to the Peregrine, she was soaring around above the end of the Down, and it looked as if she was hunting. The Gull gave up and she continued, then made off towards the Peregrine Watch where I lost sight of her. A little while later as I cycled past the the Gully she reappeared, then moved rapidly over the Down towards Clifton.
On the mud, a large line of Gulls, some Mallard, and a couple of Redshank, both close enough under the cliffs to get a good view of their red legs. They use their long bills to explore the mud under the water at the edge of the river. Home to breakfast.

Thursday, Friday, Sunday, November 12th, 13th, 15th

There 'may' have been a Peregrine clinging to the cliff to the left (by the ivy strands), but the light was not good, even with a clear blue Sunday sky, to say definitely. There was only one Redshank on the mud today (below the Peregrine Watch), the other two days saw several lined up on the mud around Sea Walls. There are still plenty of Mallard (dozens) and Black Headed Gulls. The Ravens were soaring around above Sea Walls, and doing what I can only think was 'Raven Pair Bonding', occasionally falling around in the sky together. The Jackdaws, Crows and Rooks do rather the same. On Thursday a looping flash of white wing parts as a pair of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers flew past the Peregrine Watch - seeing a pair it must be courtship time!
I wondered if the strong winds of yesterday (100mph at the Needles) had brought any strays in from the continent.

Tuesdays 27th October, 3rd November. Sunday 8th November

A combination of allotment work, sloth and the weather have kept me away from cycling over the last few weeks. Today (Sunday) was grey and rather too cold for my liking, it may have been around 10C, but an east wind chill made it much colder. Large numbers of assorted gulls scattered over the Downland grass, and at the Peregrine Watch a fleeting glimpse of a Sparrow Hawk as it passed us at cliff level. The tide was high, so no mud birds.
Last Tuesday I cycled in sunshine and the tide was quite low. From Sea Walls I could see a single Redshank down on the mud, and further down river the very black wing cases of what could only be a group of Greater Black Backed Gulls with some of their juveniles. The Tuesday before that has been lost to my memory!

Wednesday, Friday 21st, 23rd October

On Wednesday afternoon I cycled over the Downs and over to Blackwells to pick up a book. On the way over I stopped at Sea Walls, it was low tide, a number of Redshank were feeding on the mud. A Cormorant flew upstream, scattering a group of gulls en route, it barged past one of the gulls and nearly knocked it from the sky! I saw some very unusual behaviour by a Raven. The bird was gliding around in the Gorge thermals, it scarcely moved a wing, but every now and then folded its wings, and tipped sideways slightly, going into a short peregrine-like swoop. This flight pattern went on for five to ten minutes. Then over by the Peregrine Watch I saw two Ravens, one was perched on their nest at the top of the quarry. There was no sign of a Peregrine.
On Friday I completed my "10 mile" trip for the first time in a couple of weeks. The tide was high and still coming in. Apart from some friendly Jackdaws and the usual Wood Pigeons and Gulls, I noticed few other birds.

Monday October 12th

My first bike ride for over a week, the weather tempted me out, with a radiant blue sky and no wind. The tide was coming in, but also imperceptibly slowly, so that the floating gulls scarcely moved. There were about five Redshank down river from Sea Walls, otherwise it was very quiet in bird land. No raptors!

Thursday 1st October

The trees on Saville Road are shedding large numbers of conkers so that it looks like a huge contest has taken place. The road is peppered with car-crushed conkers. Likewise the trees are loosing leaves, and the chestnuts are the first to do so. At Sea Walls I saw a single Redshank on the mud just opposite, very still, with the eponymous legs bright in the sunshine, it did settle its wings now and then so that the white patches flashed. Lots of ducks and gulls lined the mud and swam at the river edges; the tide was receding. At the Peregrine Watch a Peregrine was perched at the base of the banana tree, it was almost invisible among the sun lite parts of the tree.

Tuesday 29th Septermber

From Sea Walls: 2 Redshank, one up stream, the other down stream; a Cormorant on some low tide rocks (shared with a duck!); a Heron by the storm drain. The occupant of the little red car had just fed the Rooks, Crows, Jackdaws and various Gulls, and a large, hairy, floppy dog was chasing among them to loud caws of disgust. The birds were persistent in getting the remaining bits of bread and dodging the stupid hound.
At the Peregrine Watch we saw all three birds. The male in a close majestic fly-past, he disappeared off towards Avonmouth; the female was over in the banana tree; the juvenile appeared from the cliff beneath us, and eventually disappeared off over Leigh Woods in a swoop. Several groups of Mallard flew up river, Gulls and more Mallard swam on the tide. A pair of Mute Swans came low over us, their wings making that lovely whooping sigh of a sound. Over at the top of the quarry to the right a small red brown speck looked like a Roe Deer, but I said it looked more like a Tamworth pig! Then a Fox appeared over to the other side of the quarry. So was the first sighting a Deer or a Fox? The morning was capped with a beautiful blue sky. Magical.