Friday, November 03, 2006

Friday 3rd November

Bright and sunny after a cold, frosty night. The flocks of birds - gulls, crows, rooks, jackdaws, usually on the Downland grass in the mornings were absent. Nothing much at the Peregrine Watch, I did spot a couple of black backed gulls, one going up river probably a greater black backed, the other down, probably a lesser black backed. I judged these were different from the intensity of the black backs and size. Acres of mud and the tide nearly finished going out.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Thursday 2nd November

cormorant picture from RSPB site
Just after I arrived at 10:30 a lone cormorant flew up-river low over the water. Lots of mud with the tide still going out. At 10:50 a distinct call down to my right alerted me to a peregrine, he flew around the cliff a little, then made off to roost on the cliff over the river opposite; his presence explained why the flock of a couple of dozen jackdaws had risen from the cliffs below on a couple of occasions, and flew around in agitated formation, before returning to the cliff. This was a very bright and cold morning, the heavy overnight frost had hardened the ground of the Downs so that there were few birds on the grass.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Tuesday 31st October, Wednesday 1st November

Tuesday: A strong gale swept down the Gorge from the NNE, blowing the rooks, jackdaws, and seagulls around the sky. A brief glimpse of (probably) a sparrow hawk over the wooded valley beside Sea Walls, at first I thought it was just another rook, then it attracted the attention of others. Mobbing is a sure sign of a hawk. Lots of birds on the downland grass.
Wednesday: Cold and clear with a wind from nearer the east. A brief glimpse of a heron as I arrived at the peregrine watch. Seagulls on the mud, and several pairs of mallards swimming up river with the incoming tide.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Monday 30th October

Low clouds and misty rain when I arrived at the watch. Nothing interesting, no falcons and few other birds apart from squabling rooks!

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Thursday, Friday, Sunday : 26-29th October

Thursday was dull and cold, with flocks of birds on the grass and very few flying around. The high tide meant that there was no mud for gulls and ducks to search. Friday was a better day, a brief glimpse of a peregrine as he flew over to perch in a tree in the middle of the cliff face opposite. Three cormorants flying in from the estuary, above the Leigh Woods trees, and (possibly) some teal down on the river, leastwise they were ducks, and seemed to be flying more like teal than mallard. A curious phenomenon on the river - a line of debris showed where the high tide had stopped coming in, and reversed to going out. The river surface was quite different on either side. There was a flock of black headed gulls on the corner of the Downs near the traffic lights.
Sunday. Much more interesting and with fine high cloud and a weak sun. The jackdaws were diving around and chasing each other and also trying to catch some insects in flight. One of the jackdaws has a lot of white feathers mixed with his black coat. Several large flocks of rooks, one of over a hundred roosted over in a large beech in Leigh Woods. As I arrived (around 10am) a raven (maybe a carrion crow) perched over on the cliff face opposite, a peregrine flew over, there was an altercation! Off flew the raven, and the peregrine perched in the 'banana' tree. I saw several peregrines flying around, two to the cliff below me, a female came up the Gorge from the suspension bridge and landed below me, and another took off for the bushes on the cliff opposite. The pair of ravens now resumed flying low above Leigh Woods, and a couple of cormorants made for the docks. The Portway was closed to traffic for the third Sunday in a row; only a workman's flat top went back and forth. Nice and quiet - but with large numbers of Sunday runners, walkers, climbers and cyclists.