Tuesday February 12th, Wednesday February 20th

On Tuesday cycling was a bitterly cold experience, and I only paused long enough to see a lone Redshank on the mud. The very cold weather kept me away until today, when there was no frost, but a rather cold fog which cleared as I came up to the Gorge. I spotted a Black Headed Gull with his summer cap on on the grass by Saville Road, then on the estuary mud there were others. On the other side of the river by Sea Walls a couple of Oyster Catchers were feeding, their red bills like the red legs of some neighbouring Redshank. Oyster Catchers, like Curlew are quite a rare sight. On the mud below the Peregrine Watch were a couple of Cormorants, they flew off up-river, then had second thoughts, wheeled and headed downstream with the tide.

A bunch of cowboy workman are busy clearing trees from the side of the railway line opposite. The trees are being turned into chippings, and rather than being collected and disposed of properly, are being left in piles all over the side of the cycle track and down on the river bank. Who on earth employed this lot? They should be told to clear up the mess, it ruins the view of the Gorge from the Peregrine Watch, and probably will remain for the rest of the summer. Chippings take a long time to decay. Maybe this is something the putative "Friends of the Downs & Avon Gorge" should comment on!