John's Morning Bike Ride

Tuesday 17th November

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:40:00 +0000

A squawk from a Seagull high above Sea walls alerted me to the Peregrine, she was soaring around above the end of the Down, and it looked as if she was hunting. The Gull gave up and she continued, then made off towards the Peregrine Watch where I lost sight of her. A little while later as I cycled past the the Gully she reappeared, then moved rapidly over the Down towards Clifton.
On the mud, a large line of Gulls, some Mallard, and a couple of Redshank, both close enough under the cliffs to get a good view of their red legs. They use their long bills to explore the mud under the water at the edge of the river. Home to breakfast.

Thursday, Friday, Sunday, November 12th, 13th, 15th

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:08:00 +0000

There 'may' have been a Peregrine clinging to the cliff to the left (by the ivy strands), but the light was not good, even with a clear blue Sunday sky, to say definitely. There was only one Redshank on the mud today (below the Peregrine Watch), the other two days saw several lined up on the mud around Sea Walls. There are still plenty of Mallard (dozens) and Black Headed Gulls. The Ravens were soaring around above Sea Walls, and doing what I can only think was 'Raven Pair Bonding', occasionally falling around in the sky together. The Jackdaws, Crows and Rooks do rather the same. On Thursday a looping flash of white wing parts as a pair of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers flew past the Peregrine Watch - seeing a pair it must be courtship time!
I wondered if the strong winds of yesterday (100mph at the Needles) had brought any strays in from the continent.

Tuesdays 27th October, 3rd November. Sunday 8th November

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:12:00 +0000

A combination of allotment work, sloth and the weather have kept me away from cycling over the last few weeks. Today (Sunday) was grey and rather too cold for my liking, it may have been around 10C, but an east wind chill made it much colder. Large numbers of assorted gulls scattered over the Downland grass, and at the Peregrine Watch a fleeting glimpse of a Sparrow Hawk as it passed us at cliff level. The tide was high, so no mud birds.
Last Tuesday I cycled in sunshine and the tide was quite low. From Sea Walls I could see a single Redshank down on the mud, and further down river the very black wing cases of what could only be a group of Greater Black Backed Gulls with some of their juveniles. The Tuesday before that has been lost to my memory!

Wednesday, Friday 21st, 23rd October

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:23:00 +0000

On Wednesday afternoon I cycled over the Downs and over to Blackwells to pick up a book. On the way over I stopped at Sea Walls, it was low tide, a number of Redshank were feeding on the mud. A Cormorant flew upstream, scattering a group of gulls en route, it barged past one of the gulls and nearly knocked it from the sky! I saw some very unusual behaviour by a Raven. The bird was gliding around in the Gorge thermals, it scarcely moved a wing, but every now and then folded its wings, and tipped sideways slightly, going into a short peregrine-like swoop. This flight pattern went on for five to ten minutes. Then over by the Peregrine Watch I saw two Ravens, one was perched on their nest at the top of the quarry. There was no sign of a Peregrine.
On Friday I completed my "10 mile" trip for the first time in a couple of weeks. The tide was high and still coming in. Apart from some friendly Jackdaws and the usual Wood Pigeons and Gulls, I noticed few other birds.

Monday October 12th

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:41:00 +0000

My first bike ride for over a week, the weather tempted me out, with a radiant blue sky and no wind. The tide was coming in, but also imperceptibly slowly, so that the floating gulls scarcely moved. There were about five Redshank down river from Sea Walls, otherwise it was very quiet in bird land. No raptors!

Thursday 1st October

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:38:00 +0000

The trees on Saville Road are shedding large numbers of conkers so that it looks like a huge contest has taken place. The road is peppered with car-crushed conkers. Likewise the trees are loosing leaves, and the chestnuts are the first to do so. At Sea Walls I saw a single Redshank on the mud just opposite, very still, with the eponymous legs bright in the sunshine, it did settle its wings now and then so that the white patches flashed. Lots of ducks and gulls lined the mud and swam at the river edges; the tide was receding. At the Peregrine Watch a Peregrine was perched at the base of the banana tree, it was almost invisible among the sun lite parts of the tree.

Tuesday 29th Septermber

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:06:00 +0000

From Sea Walls: 2 Redshank, one up stream, the other down stream; a Cormorant on some low tide rocks (shared with a duck!); a Heron by the storm drain. The occupant of the little red car had just fed the Rooks, Crows, Jackdaws and various Gulls, and a large, hairy, floppy dog was chasing among them to loud caws of disgust. The birds were persistent in getting the remaining bits of bread and dodging the stupid hound.
At the Peregrine Watch we saw all three birds. The male in a close majestic fly-past, he disappeared off towards Avonmouth; the female was over in the banana tree; the juvenile appeared from the cliff beneath us, and eventually disappeared off over Leigh Woods in a swoop. Several groups of Mallard flew up river, Gulls and more Mallard swam on the tide. A pair of Mute Swans came low over us, their wings making that lovely whooping sigh of a sound. Over at the top of the quarry to the right a small red brown speck looked like a Roe Deer, but I said it looked more like a Tamworth pig! Then a Fox appeared over to the other side of the quarry. So was the first sighting a Deer or a Fox? The morning was capped with a beautiful blue sky. Magical.

Monday 28th September

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:41:00 +0000

A week has gone past since my last bike ride. No excuses! This morning was dull and cold, the trees are turning drab green-grey but also getting autumn colours. In the quarry opposite the Peregrine Watch two people were armed with cans and gloves which looked like herbicide to kill trees! The quarry already has a number of dead trees in it, no doubt more will appear in the new year. Someone should suggest to the National Trust that they find better ways of removing small trees that they don't want. The present method leaves an unsightly mess, especially through binoculars from the Peregrine Watch.
A Peregrine was perched in the banana tree. On the estuary mud below Sea Walls I spotted a couple of Redshank.

Friday, (Saturday), Monday. Sept 18, 19, 21

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:09:00 +0000

On Friday I cycled through town, out along the Portway (ugh) and back up through Snyed Park then via Sea Walls. There were no Redshank or Peregrines visible from the Portway, though I did spot a Buzzard and a Redshank once I got back onto the Downs. Saturday it went down to the docks to watch our new morris side, Nonesuch. Lots of photos here!
Today's ride delivered a Buzzard and a Peregrine over in the banana tree. The Peregrine disappeared whilst I wasn't looking, I did not see him move. There was a very high tide which had just started to ebb, it had dangerous looking tree debris in it. The chestnuts are changing colour to red and yellows, and a cycle helmet is useful to ward off falling conkers.

Wednesday 16th, Thursday 17th September

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:46:00 +0000

The Gorge looks very different in the afternoon, it is nearly impossible to see whether a Peregrine is over in the opposite quarry. However the Swifts were flying around at cliff-top level, and I did get a brief view of a Green Woodpecker as it disappeared into Leigh Woods.
Thursday was a bright blue day. A couple of Redshank were feeding on the mud above Sea Walls. Peregrines are difficult to see even in a good light. At the Peregrine Watch it was just possible to make out the very still form of a Peregrine in the banana tree, one of the birds was spotted heading towards the Suspension Bridge, then, as I cycled along the path beside Fairyland another was pointed out on the cliff face below. It was very difficult to see, and I missed spotting it at the Peregrine Watch, however it took off and flew across the Gorge, confirming that the slight shape on the cliff was a raptor.

Monday, Tuesday, September 14th, 15th

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:40:00 +0000

Monday: I spotted a Buzzard over Leigh Woods as I cycled up to Sea Walls, it dropped quickly into the trees and did not reappear. Most of my ride was occupied by taking pictures of the many tree stumps and gaps between trees on the Downs. The council is very good at felling trees (aren't we all?), but very poor on replacements. This is especially so during the last five years or so. The photos are on Facebook
Tuesday: A 'normal' ride around the Downs. This morning: a solitary Redshank by the storm drain; a fleeting glimpse of a Peregrine as it disappeared towards the Suspension Bridge; the Raven pair were over near their nest, they seemed to be exploring the rock face crevices.

11th September 2009

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:59:00 +0000

Two Redshank were feeding on the mud below Sea Walls, one close by, and with glinting red lags in the sunshine, the other was much further down the estuary towards Avonmouth. Apart from another (maybe the same one) begging Herring Gull, nothing of note. I don't see many Swallows or swifts, so maybe they are back off to Africa? No peregrines were visible, a hopeful birder had set up his 'scope at the Peregrine Watch.

Thursday 10th September

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:54:00 +0000

The horse chestnuts are turning to reds and yellows, and a few conkers have fallen. At Sea Walls a party of a dozen and a half young mothers, all with push chairs and infants were busy doing exercises under the tuition of a man in a track suit. They hitched rubber bungees to the railings and were using them to exercise their arms, while half the group used the wooden posts by the road to stretch their legs. I see this group fairly regularly, along with numerous joggers. The greater proportion of those exercising are women.
At the Peregrine Watch the sun and wind were playing tricks with the foliage around the banana tree, so it looked as if a group of Peregrines was flitting around the tree. I didn't have my binoculars this morning so could not tell what was going on. This must have been tricks of the light and the clear blue sunshine. There was a cold breeze from the north.

Monday 7th September

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:08:00 +0000

I'm a couple of days late filling this blog in. Cycling towards Sea Walls I passed a young Herring Gull, all fluffed up, and begging from a parent. It made squeaking noises, so at first I hear the sound, and thought that my bike needed oil somewhere. The young gull looked to be far to large to beg! There was a coach party beside Sea Walls when I returned on my second circuit of the Downs, a lot of older folk all gazing into the Gorge. No one looked skywards, if they had they might have spotted a buzzard slowly circling its way down river, a hundred feet or so above the cliff top. No Peregrines were visible.
The CONE project is back - it has been for about six months but I missed the start. See http://cone.berkeley.edu/. This version is running in Texas, and is now called CONE Welder. Try it, and learn about birds, mammals and invertibrates down in Texas.

Friday 4th September

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:24:00 +0000

I cycled around via Clifton and Observatory Hill, then across to the Peregrine Watch. There was a Peregrine over in the banana tree, it took off just as I was about to leave, flew around the quarry for a while, then disappeared. A squdron of Mallard flew down river just after this, wheeled around and sped back past me. I've not seen ducks fly so fast before, so maybe the Pergrine was visible to them! In America they refer to the Peregrine as a duck hawk .....

Wednesday 1st September

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:28:00 +0000

I cycled down through Bristol and out by Cumberland Basin, then along the Portway to just below Sea Walls, back up Bridge Valley Road, and around the Downs past Sea Walls. By the time I got to Sea Walls there was a heavy misty rain falling. At the other side of the Downs by the White Tree it had nearly stopped and was dry. Micro climates!
The Avon was very low, with a small stream flowing out from the middle of acres of mud. Common, Herring, and Lesser Black backed gulls were all over the mud with this years siblings, now well grown, beside them. Mallard were busy by the storm drain, a couple of Cormorants flew up river, stopped for a while to greet another Cormorant perched on the mud, then continued up river. There was a Heron further down the river past Sea Walls. No sign of any Peregrines, but it is possible to see where they have been sitting on the rock faces, large white splashes of guano are spread below various rock perches. I managed to spot the group of Sorbus Wilmottiana - or Wilmott's Whitebeam just beside the Donkey Slide, they look as if they are thriving. There was a heavy rock slide on the slope beside them a little while ago, but it did not damage them. A number of other common Whitebeams now have berries and their leaves are starting to turn colour, so autumn is close.

Monday 31st August

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:24:00 +0000

A heron took off from the mud down river from Sea Walls, he stopped first by the storm drain, then a little further down, and again down belwo the Peregrine Watch. This time I could see a Peregrine over on the 'banana tree'.

Sunday August 30th

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:33:00 +0000

The Redshank have returned to the estuary mud after their summer recess, there were two birds by Sea Walls. A set of curious tracks on the mud showed up. They were probably made by a (large) dog running from the tow path opposite, however at one point they joined up with some neater tracks which looked like those from a deer, I wonder whether they hide a story? Someone has removed the council's large notice by Sea Walls! There was a bike event on Ladies Mile, causing it to be closed to traffic, so some small children could enjoy cycling up and down.

Tuesday, Wednesday August 25, 26

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:48:00 +0000

On Tuesday there were two Roe deer in the quarry opposite Peregrine Watch. A doe and her fawn, they were on the grassy slope just by the trees on the lhs. The fawn suckled its mother at one stage, the mother was also busy eating the lower branches of the trees.

Wednesday was very windy as the remnants of hurricane Bill passed over Bristol.

Tuesday 18th August

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:23:00 +0000

A quiet ride around the Downs. Bristol's butterfly bush, the buddleia, is producing some second blossoms, and I have seen the occasional painted lady butterfly on them. No
Peregrine this morning.

Tuesday 11th August

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:27:00 +0000

Grey and blues days seem to alternate, today was blue with some clouds. A quick trip around the Downs with brief stops at Sea Walls and the Peregrine Watch. The river was muddy brown, debris, gulls and ducks still moving slowly in on the nearly high tide. I spotted a male Peregrine as soon as I had my glasses focused towards the quarry, he flew low, then towards me and the cliff below, as he came in and got close, he folded his wings as in a stoop, but to land on a cliff ledge.

Sunday 9th August

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:31:00 +0000

Another sunny morning (irony). The river tide had just turned, very little bird life that I could see. The travellers / gypsies have moved on, or been moved on, so that that the only relics of their camp are large grass circles showing where their tethered horses cropped the grass.
A more careful reading of the plastic posters shows that they refer to barbeque's and removing rubbish, it looks as if some more permanent notices on metal posts will appear soon, probably about parking. There are already such notices on Cote Green, and one on Ladies Mile hidden by foliage. We have far too many notices plastered over our roads and countryside, the useful ones are usually obscured by trees and bushes.
Home to sardines and croissants for breakfast.

Friday August 7th

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:18:00 +0000

A group of travellers are camped on the grass below Sea Walls, eight horses and four round topped caravans. The horses have eaten large circles from the grass, it looks spectacular from the cliff top! Whilst I was watching a small red Hyundai car drew up; a large group of Crows, Rooks and Jackdaws with young and old Gulls gathered on the other side on the downland. They were not worried by several runners, just moving aside to let them through! They recognised the car, and its occupant, who was about to feed them. There were a number of cars parked, several others passed, but only this little red one attracted attention. Members of the Corvus family are an intelligent bunch, and they led the way for the Gulls. Several of the young gulls were going into 'feed me' postures while this was going on. The birds waited, I waited, the man waited! Eventually the man got out and the birds were rewarded with bread scraps.
The Peregrine watch was quiet, no Peregrines, but a Heron and a Cormorant flew down river, and towards Nightingale Valley a Buzzard came and settled in the top of a dead tree.

Wednesday 5th August

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:16:00 +0000

A warm and very humid morning so that my glasses kept misting up when I tried to use them with binoculars! The rain copious rain over the last few days created a strong ebb tide with a lot of mud and debris. Not many birds to report, a Cormorant flying downriver and lots of Black Headed Gulls on the mud.

Monday August 3rd

noreply@blogger.com (John Maher) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:04:00 +0000

A lower tide now, Black Headed Gulls were lined along the riverside, with a few Mallard in the river. On the Downland by Sea Walls someone was feeding a large flock of Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gulls, Jackdaws, Rooks, and Crows. They milled around and grabbed the bread as it was thrown.
At the Peregrine Watch, no Peregrines but a young Kestrel came and sat in the Jackdaw tree. She moved around on the branch, and gazed intently at the grassland at the foot of the cliff, preened her feather a little, and balanced in the strong southerly wind. Every now and then the wind pulled her speckled feathers up into a little umbrella around her waist, most undignified for a lady! But what a little beauty! Eventually she left and flew in front of me below the cliffs.

Some large plastic posters were being erected, mounted on stout wooden posts at either end they are nearer to posters than the usual kind of notice. One at Sea Walls, the other on the corner of Circular Road and Ladies Mile. There are probably others. The message is that barbecues are not allowed on the Downs - and please remove your litter. Quite so! Very commendable! However I do wonder how long such flimsy notices will survive - vandals or the wind! Some weeks ago I watched a policeman on horseback talking to people parked on the grassland by Sea Walls, there was also a barbecue going. He did not seem to be doing anything about moving them off the Down, so what use these notices will be remains to be seen.