A long gap without rides or posts! Hospitals, holidays, weather all kept me away from the Downs on my bike. I did manage several walks around the whole Downland.
On one walk I discovered a lone Sorbus wilmottiana - Wilmott's Whitebeam planted in the border leading onto the Suspension Bridge. I am incredulous that Bristol City Council (The Downs Committee) are perfectly prepared to sacrifice 10% of this trees total world population (42 trees - maybe 43 with the one by the bridge) to goats in Walcombe Slade. See: The distribution and population sizes of the rare English endemic Sorbus wilmottiana E. F. Warburg,Wilmott’s Whitebeam (Rosaceae).
On another visit a month ago I made another discovery - a kestrel nest on the cliff face of Black Rock. It is beside a large patch of ivy, and hidden by a small dead bush. On several visits I have seen the birds going in and out, circling above the quarry, chasing, and being chased by the local Jackdaws and Crows. This last tuesday both birds left the nest and flew rapidly towards Walcombe Slade. I waited about 15 minutes, but they did not return, so the vole catching cannot have been easy!
Last Tuesday I met a bird watcher who reported seeing a female Goshawk going up and down the Gorge. Lucky! lucky! During my occasional visits over the last month I spotted the Peregrines on several occasions; they are reported to have chicks. The Ravens nesting opposite have left. How many Raven chicks fledged this year?
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