Friday May 16th

There are no Redshank on the mud at low tide, I expect that they are all away on their nests! There must be a Wren's nest close to the Jackdaw Tree; the Wren sings when I turn up, and there was a change in the 'language' when a large Crow landed on the tree! One of the Jackdaws, also with a nest just below the cliff, did not like this Crow one little bit. I heard a raucous noise from the Jackdaw as it repeatedly dive-bombed the Crow. When the Crow didn't move the Jackdaw landed on the other side of the tree - away from the Crow - eyed the Crow up and down - took off again - and went in for the kill! This time the Crow flew off, pursued by one very angry Jackdaw, they crossed the road, and only then was the Jackdaw happy. She returned the the tree and started preening. The Wren's notes became much sweeter, and I could see it sitting on a bottom branch of a little hawthorn on the Gorge edge.

Wednesday May 14th

Four Ravens were flying lazily around over Leigh Woods, if this is 'Family Raven' I wondered where the fifth was, especially since it was difficult to distinguish the youngsters from their parents. What took place next could mean that a Peregrine has had one of the young Ravens. The male Peregrine appeared, he certainly took great exception to all four Ravens, launching a series of swoop attacks; no feathers flew but the Ravens all retreated towards Bristol. The Peregrine swooped down to his nest on the cliff below me, he folded his wings as in a swoop for the last few meters - an angry bird?!

Tuesday May 13th

Two trips up onto the Downs today. The first a foreshortened ride due to meeting Roger at the Peregrine Watch, and then, after walking back over the downland and looking at the trees and shrubs, we decided to return and spend time photographing the trees and flora on the Downs, but especially in the Gully. We spent several hours walking and clambering around the steep slopes and the rocks in the Gully (Walcombe Slade) where we took over 200 pictures. The state of a lot of this region is very disappointing. Management, hmmmm ....! I was amazed at the number of Whitebeam around, these are losing their initial white glow as the leaves age a little. The Downs trees are in their full glory at present. Westonbirt eat your heart out!
Afterwards, a short stay at the Watch in the afternoon: first a Buzzard being seen off by one of the Ravens, then later two of last years juvenile Pergrines appeared briefly and circled in the Gorge, then the male from the nest took off and started hunting, circling slowly up over Leigh Woods, disappearing for a while, then circling higher and eventually disappearing over towards Bristol. I understand that the chicks may have fledged, so we may start to see the two parents feeding their young; it will get intersting in early June.