Thursday April 23rd - St George's Day

I visited the Peregrine Watch at about 8am and was pleased to see, probably the male, over in a lower oak tree. He was sideways on, so his lantern front was less visible. Then on to the Lord Mayor's House to dance with Bristol Morris Men and help him start St George's Day off.

Monday to Wednesday, 20th to 22nd April

Three cycle rides this week. I saw Peregrines only on Wednesday, the female came into the nest and the male left to sit over in a lower oak tree opposite. The Ravens are still on their nest, I think I can see a youngster? One of the parents sits on guard on the top of the yew tree to the left of the nest. On Monday there were two sets of Deer tracks on the mud opposite Sea Walls. No Redshank at the moment. The whitebeams are all coming out in bud, some more advanced than others. Look at the group just over the fence from Sea Walls, a 'daddy' tree surrounded by siblings of various ages. This shows very clearly how these lovely trees propagate - but is this one of the apomictic species?

Friday 17th saw an interview for the BEPP about the idiot proposal from BCC and Natural England, to put feral goats into the Gully in a pen. BCC have a propaganda wagon to try to persuade the good folk of Bristol that 'Goats Would Be Good' (to eat ...). However, putting six goats into a pen on the north side of the Gully will enable them to firstly eat the rare whitebeams, and when they run out of fodder, to escape, and probably have to be shot. As they were down in Studland Bay a couple of years ago.
When goats are penned in in this way do they cease being feral? In Burrington Coombe goats, Exmoor ponies and long horned cattle have about 300 acres to wander over (including the road which has cattle grids); down there they are not a problem. The road up Burrington Coombe is busy, but no where like the Portway.
Whilst the interview was taking place I watched a Kestrel circling around under the Black Rocks Cliff for several minutes.