Thursday, April 10, 2008

Thursday April 10th

A couple of birds with an identity crisis this morning! Firstly a Cormorant, it circled the trees opposite the Peregrine Watch, then started to circle higher and higher, passing high over the river by The Gully. I stopped following it once it was high over the Downs and at a height I normally associate with the Peregrines and some Gulls, not a Cormorant.
A Peregrine came into the cliff beneath the Peregrine Watch, then left a little while later and made for the trees opposite. A very white (and obvious) Pigeon was sitting over in one of the lower oaks, the Peregrine flew at this target, but the Pigeon just flapped around in the tree. The Peregrine went into some ivy just above the Pigeon, now also in some ivy, remained for a while, then came out and flew at the Pigeon again. The same performance, but with a less persistent attack by the Peregrine, neither attack involved a strike onto the Pigeon. After this, the Peregrine lost interest and started to circle low over the trees, then down past the Ravens nest, and on down towards Nightingale Valley, then it rose higher and higher, finally disappearing behind the trees and towards the Zoo. Hunting behaviour more like that of a Sparrowhawk than a Peregrine?

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Wednesday 9th April

Click on the picture(s) for a larger view!

Another cold morning with a high, but still flowing tide. A beautiful red-brown Kestrel landed on an ash down below the Peregrine Watch, she swivelled her head round to look over her back as only a bird can, after a few minutes she flew off beneath the cliff and disappeared. The Ravens were soaring up above their nest and then over towards the Suspension Bridge, every now and then they would fly playfully at each other. Love! They also have a curious habit of seeming to 'fold-up' (for want of a better description) when flying. Their chicks are getting large, and bits of black can occasionally be seen above the nest top. Chris Jones sent me this fine picture of one of the Peregrines perched on the cliffs, I guess they must have chicks by now.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Tuesday April 8th


A high and ebbing tide. Blue sky between fluffy clouds. Cold! At the Peregrine Watch a crowd of people had their necks craned skywards watching a Peregrine, high, high up, against a grey cloud. The bird must have been 1000 feet up. It circled against the cloud for a long while, then slipped off over the Suspension Bridge, still pretty high up. Another bird appeared a little lower, and above us, I watched it and thought that it was a Seagull, but suddenly it started to dive towards The Gully ... and folded its wings like a raptor! Then disappeared below the trees. What on earth was it?
The fox was curled up in the brambles below the cliff, difficult to see until you knew where to look. A peregrine landed over in one of the oaks. I left for home and brunch. The pictures were taken by Chris Jones a week ago.



Sunday, April 06, 2008

Sunday 6th April


Winter has returned with a vengence, this morning was bitterly cold, and the Downs had patches of snow, in the sunshine, when it appeared, the temperature was pleasant. At Sea Walls, I watched a small group of Redshank busily picking the mud. The 'photo is of a pretty little red-purple flower just behind the railings - can someone give it a name? Any idea Geraldine!?
A red fox came out below the Peregrine Watch cliff and went to sleep curled up among the scrub. On the estuary there were some small groups of Redshank, occasionally they get up and fly, low over the water, their white wing flashes giving them a very distinctive appearance. A Peregrine appeared in a tree beside a little clearing opposite the PW, the Raven was sitting slightly to the right of its nest again. At one stage a Raven soared above Leigh Woods and the nest. I heard of reports of visitors to the Gorge - and Osprey yesterday, and a Merlin. There are some large Sparrowhawks around.