Wednesday February 11th

I walked up to the Downs via Kersteman Road and Blackboy Hill. Several Robins were establishing their territory with song, probably encouraged by blue sky and warm sun. On the Downs were many snow remains, large dirty snowballs, slight patches where the snow figures were a couple of days ago, and a huge sculpture of some sort near to the Huntingdon Elm. It looked like a large throne and had a bucket on a chair in front of it! There was still snow on Dundry and the Welsh Hills, and a large patch at the top of the Gully where the trees shade the grass.
At the Peregrine Watch I think I could see a couple of Peregrines over in the Leigh Woods oak trees, but maybe one was a pigeon fluffed up against the cold. At around 3pm from Sea Walls the sunshine was shining right into the Peregrine nest, and illuminating the cliff around. Was there another peregrine perched just beside the nest on the cliff, it seemed to move a little, but the effect could have been a trick of the sunlight? There were gulls on the mud, one had a black head like a Black Headed Gull; it seems a little early for these birds to loose their head-phone appearance. One lone Redshank, and a Cormorant flying down river.
Walking back across towards White Tree and past the Seven Sisters I wondered if it is still possible to see 'Quarry 1' (Gerry Nichols - Bristol Branch of the Historical Association, 2005, No 116). Maybe.