Friday 8th February

At 10am the river was higher and starting to flow rapidly to Avonmouth. There were three Redshank scattered on the mud opposite Sea Walls, at the Peregrine Watch there were no Peregrines perched opposite. No sign of yesterdays small wader puzzle. Some additional thoughts though, prompted by the Editors comment.

I tried to see the bill shape but could not. The top plumage was very dark, and the bird had a white undercarriage. From the top of Sea Walls, for a bird pretty well underneath me it is very difficult to see leg colour or flecks on the breast. My binoculars are 10x42 Opticrons. This is the second time I have seen this bird in about the same place, the first sighting made me certain it was not another Redshank. The latter are quite common on the estuary mud below Sea Walls as today's blog evinces.

Wednesday 6th February

Identifying birds is always a problem. This morning I watched what I thought at first was a Kestral, then a Sparrowhawk, finally deciding it was a Peregrine! I first saw the bird being mobbed by some local Crows, then it left them and started to climb, just how far up was not evident until I took the glasses off it. It was high, high up above Bridge Valley Road, then it went into a stoop - as only a Peregrine can. The two Peregrines were perched over in the Oaks opposite all this time, which I why at first I did not think "Peregrine".

My second identification is still a bit problematic.

At Sea Walls, immediately under the cliff among the rocks, mud, and gulls I spotted a small wader with a very dark back and a white underside. From above it was not possible to see much more. However this time there was also a Redshank nearby for comparison, and this new bird was considerably smaller. In my RSPB Handbook of British Birds there are a few choices: Dunlin or Knot in winter plumage, then Green Sandpiper or a Common Sandpiper. On balance I think I prefer Green Sandpiper as a slightly more common winter bird than its Common cousin. The Knot and Dunlin are much, much more common, but the winter plumage is darker. Has anybody reading this a better identification?

Tuesday 5th February

This morning's weather was a mixture of sunshine and showers, I just about managed to dodge the larger showers. Coming up to the Peregrine Watch along Circular Road a bird with half white wings flew over the road, at first I thought that it was a Magpie, on stopping I was amazed to see a Crow! I have not seen him before, though there was a Jackdaw with a lot of white feathers. The Crow has white wings from about his elbow joints, the rest is black so far as I could see. On the rest of the Downs a large flock of Black Headed Gulls were feeding on the grass, some are starting to loose their 'headphones' and gain their black caps.

The low tide brought the gulls and ducks out to the waters edge, I could see a few Redshank, and one came in to land immediately below Sea Walls just as I was watching a Curlew probing the mud. A very fine view of the Curlew indeed since he was close under the cliff on the mud.

Further on at the Peregrine Watch (I did not see the Crow on my second time past the Watch), I could see the two Peregrines over in the Oak tree, one with her grey back to me and partly hidden behind the tree branches, the other with (his, I think), white chest. He was above and slightly to the right of his mate. I did not stop too long as a raincloud came into view over Leigh Woods. By the time I got home it had caught up with me.

Wednesday 30th January, Monday 4th February

Last Tuesday I walked by the Peregrine Watch, and there were two Peregrines perched over in the Oak trees opposite, one flew briefly round the gorge and over the river, to land back in the same place. The next day when I cycled past there was a single bird in the tree. Today (Monday) a female Peregrine took off from the cliff below, flew round in a big circle, and back to the cliff. maybe all small signs that they are starting to nest. There was a Curlew and a few Redshank on the estuary mud this morning, sharing the mud with a large group of Gulls.