Sunday June 21st

The Portway was closed for the the 16th Bristol's Biggest Bike Ride. From Black Rocks all that could be heard was the swish of bicycle tyres! I stayed to watch for the Kestrels, and was rewarded with two visits from the female. The cliff around the nest has white dropping stains, so there must be young in the nest. At the top of Walcombe Slade I surprised a Green Woodpecker, its yellow rump disappeared rapidly across the Slade into an ash tree. The Peregrine Watch had a large group of birders with a telescopes and a tent - avoided them and went along the cliff path for a little way, from which vantage point I could see a Peregrine sitting on the Raven's nest. All in all a very pleasant ride.

Sunday June14th

Des sent me this picture of a Bee Orchid. Thanks Des. Today the Downs were beautifully quiet, no traffic, and the lights at the corner of Stoke Road even changed as I approached. A Mistle Thrush was busy on the grass beside Saville Road, and was still at it when I came round again 20 minutes later. Normally the bird would have been scared off by lots of people and cars. Today was the Race for Life, with thousands of ladies in pink running their 5kM around the Downs in support of cancer charities. The link is to Joanna's Pecsaetan Morris in Sheffield. They danced the 5 kM in 52 minutes, and raised £1600+ with their dancing.

I stopped at 10am beside Sea Walls, and stayed to watch the Kestrel nest on the Black Rocks cliff. It was 35 minutes before the birds appeared, firstly the female appeared, hovered briefly, flew in circles, then disappeared into Walcombe Slade. She was followed a few minutes later by the male, he perched on the nest entrance then flew off, also to Walcombe Slade. I left as the runners started to pass in their hundreds, about 11.15am. There was no sign of the Kestrels returning. So how many chicks? If the adults are still about they cannot have fledged, also they don't seem too busy, so maybe only one chick? Can someone say?

June 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th

I'm getting lax in my postings, and forgot last week! The Peregrines can be seen flying and perching opposite, sometimes on the now vacant Raven's nest, other times in the banana tree (a small birch tree just above and to the left of the Raven's nest). I heard that there were two Peregrine chicks, but that after someone went down to see them preparatory to trying to ring them, that there was only one?! I also heard that two rings were then placed on the remaining unfortunate chick! Couple that with a report I had today (Thursday, June 11th when I did not cycle), that someone had been around and put small numbered bamboo posts beside all the bee orchids. Why ring? Why label? Why do we interfere with wildness?

The Kestrel nest is still intact so far as I can see, and the parents can be seen coming back and forth. They must have chicks, but when will they fledge? It must be soon. I see climbing parties further over on the Black Rock cliff, but this does not seem to perturb the Kestrel parents. They are far more worried about keeping nosey Jackdaws away from their patch!

Thursday, 28th May

The Black Rock Kestrels both appeared from their nest a few minutes after I arrived around 9am. One disappeared back into the nest whilst the other sat on the rock face a few feet below the nest. A Mallard drake appeared from underneath the cliff, flying round in an arc, and disappearing back again! The sitting Kestrel rose from its perch on the cliff, hovered briefly and disappeared after the duck! A few minutes later the Kestrel disappeared back into the nest hole - but I was too slow to see if it carried anything - a duck chick? I know that ducks nest in daft places, but up on Black Rock cliffs near a Kestrel nest?!! Anyway it was a drake, and I don't think they sit on the eggs at all.
At the Peregrine Watch I could see a Peregrine perched on the side of the, now empty, Raven's nest. It moved occasionally, preened itself, but did not fly.

Tuesday - May 19th, May 26th

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?

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.