Wednesday 21st May

A Cormorant flew downstream low over the river water, following the river bends and racing the traffic on the Portway; the bird was easily matching the cars which travel at between 40 and 50 mph. The still, high water level, probably helped it, but I was amazed at the birds' turn of speed. I had a brief view of the male Peregrine as he came into the cliff below the Peregrine Watch.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, 18-20th May

The temperature has dropped by ten degrees from last week, and there is a cold north wind, only when the sun comes from behind the clouds does it feel like late May. I saw the Peregrines today and Sunday, on each occasion coming from somewhere in the trees and after circling several times over the river, landing under the cliff.
The estuary is very quiet at present, few gulls or ducks, and no Redshank. I usually look down river from Sea Walls with my glasses to see if I can see anything on the mud. Today I was rewarded with the sight of a pair of Shelduck, a large male and his accompanying smaller mate, they were well down river so a little difficult to see. A Lesser Black Backed Gull was taking an interest in whatever the male duck had found in the mud, and the duck kept the gull at bay - also enabling me to see that the duck was larger than the gull. So these were certainly not a pair of Shoveler ducks.
On Monday, in nearly the same place, but over the grass beside the river, a Kestrel was hunting. Every now and again the bird dived and flew over the nearby road (chasing something?), so that on a couple of occasions it nearly collided with passing vehicles - a large coach in particular. Eventually the Kestrel gave up the river side and disappeared into the woodland beside Snyed Park.