Friday June 18th

When I reached the fence above Black Rock cliff I soon spotted a Kestrel, she was sitting on a small pinnacle a few tens of yards and up to the right of the nest; the pinnacle is stained with droppings so is easy to see through glasses. The bird was still for five minutes or so, then when I turned away, she was off, and the last I saw was her disappearing around the corner into Walcombe Slade.

The river showed a small area of mud, and the tide was coming in. A Grey Heron was fishing just down river from Black Rocks, she stayed there during most of the time I was at the Gorge. A curious behavior from a passing Cormorant, it looked almost as if it 'buzzed' the Heron!

No Peregrines, but a large number of Gulls milling around all over the Gorge, from high up, down to river level. It was difficult to see what they were doing and why, but they were certainly very busy. Maybe flying in the slight wind for the love of it?

Wednesday June 16th

I waited quite a long time standing on one of the railing pillars by the Black Rock Quarry, and overlooking the Suspension Bridge. The tide was high and still flowing in, and the sky was a very clear blue. The Kestrel appeared as if from nowhere and circled just below the cliff that juts towards the river, this was the male, with strong red brown top plumage. He moved off into Walcombe Slade. Next the female appeared, slightly larger and not as red-brown. She landed over on the cliff near where I thought the nest was, then took off and flew around below me and over towards Leigh Woods. The female returned once more but did not land, flying back under me and to Leigh Woods again.

At the Peregrine Watch I saw nothing until another birder pointed out a Peregrine busy plucking a pigeon on the cliff opposite, and just up from the now deserted Raven's Nest. Another Peregrine could now be seen just below the nest. The bird finished the pigeon - or left it - and flew off up river. If, as I've been told there are five Peregrine chicks, I would have expected frantic feeding activity, but I didn't see it.

Fri, Sun, Mon - 11th - 14th June

Friday was a 'conventional' ride around the Downs, the kind that I have done many times now. The statistics from an iPhone app MotionX-GPS: 14.4km, 48.5min, average speed 17.6km/hr, max speed 38km/hr, min alt 67m, max alt 196m, latitude / longitude start: 51.475215N 2.599883W / end 51.475322N 2.599416W locations. So there. The GPS is not that accurate, note that I started and ended at home, which comes up with two slightly different positions! Here is the track.

Friday was a quiet morning for birds; around the Black Rock quarry Jackdaws disappear into crevices in the rock face, there are probably several nesting pairs. White streaks of bird mess show where the Kestrels land, on a cliff perch, and by the supposed nest site. But no sign of the Kestrels on any of these mornings.
On Sunday morning: 7 km through the city and Black Rock apparently 111m(!). A Peregrine glided high above the river, maybe 400m up,
out over Shirehampton and back, then circled the suspension bridge, and back again. If it was hunting, it was unenthusiastic about it, no swoops. I'm told that there are 5 Peregrine chicks this year and would have thought that there would be a lot of feeding activity, but I have not seen it. Monday was quiet and cold with a high tide, neither Kestrels nor Peregrines were around. My ride took me via Southmead Hospital where I went for an X-ray.