Saturday 10th February

Cold, wet weather with snow until this morning. I cycled after breakfast and the Saturday shopping trip. Nevertheless it started to rain again as I passed Sea Walls for the second time. There were two oyster catchers on the mud among a group of gulls downstream from Sea Walls, the first I have seen, and again due to having binoculars, they were specks without the glasses. My first thought on seeing the black and white was of magpies! Not wading though! A green woodpeckers passed in front of me over Ladies Mile - they have a very characteristic flight.

Tuesday 6th February

No ride this morning, it was very cold. I walked over to the Gorge in the afternoon. O ff Ladies Mile a small flock of thrush-like birds were flying through the trees at the roadside, then coming down to feed in the grass. Fieldfare or Redwing? I think the latter, they were very dark coloured compared to the illustrations - as if someone had covered them in a brown coat, then applied the redwing character, they did have the characteristic bars over and above their eyes. At the gorge, no peregrines, but some redshank on the river mud, some lesser black back gulls and other common gulls. A cormorant flew downstream. Birdsong is much more noticeable when walking than when cycling.

Monday 5th February

A cold, cold morning for cycling. Groups of gulls were sitting around on the Downs, the black headed gulls are starting to get their black caps. (I saw one with a full black cap beside Temple Meads station later in the day). Not much else, a lone redshank was feeding on the small amount of mud which was just exposed from the outgoing tide. Quite a few wood pigeons can be spotted perched in the trees over in Leigh Woods with the aid of the binoculars, sideways and from the back these birds look white, from the front are pink.

Sunday 4th February

Regular blogs are a bit like diaries - or taking pills - quite easy to miss and forget! I had to catch up on three days today. The morning was very cold, with a heavy frost, and it was cold for most of my ride. Sunday always brings out the joggers, cyclists and others to enjoy Bristol's best place, this morning there were also large numbers of gulls scattered over the grass, the tide was high so that there was little mud, and I expect that this drives the gulls inland. At the Peregrine Watch a large group of birders was busy watching a bird perched in a tree opposite, his white front was very obvious in the sunshine. I had the glasses off him as he moved, so lost him. All I could see in the trees thereafter were pigeons. What was the bird? Not a peregrine with such a large obvious white front. A barn owl perhaps, I think the front was too white for a peregrine? The bird disappeared in to the trees - so more like an owl that a peregrine. I guess I should have asked the experts!

Wednesday, Thursday 31st January, 1st February

Not much to report on either morning, I returned to my usual route over the Downs. However I was struck by the long thin, glider-like wings of a couple of lesser black backed gulls as they flew up river. No views of any peregrines on either day, and I could not spot any redshanks from the cliff tops.

Tuesday January 30th

This morning I wanted another check on the redshank on the Avon mud, so left the Downs at Ivywell Road, and found my way down to Roman Way and then the Portway. Coming back up Bridge Valley Road (which I managed without dismounting - phew), and through Redland, back home via the Breadstore.
Redshank. Yes these are certainly redshank, the long red legs, and the very distinctive white rear edges to the wings when it flies. I noticed a slight bobbing of the head again, and a rapid walk as the bird explored the mud. The red upper bill was probably there, but very difficult to see, and could well have been obscured by a layer of River Avon mud. Try BTOWeb for picture.

Monday 29th January

If the small waders that I saw yesterday were still on the mud, I decided to go down to the Portway for a closer look. They were, so after my second circuit I set off down Bridge valley Road, and then along the cycle track at the edge of the Portway. The cycle track is VERY necessary, the traffic is horrendous, and fast. I cycled towards Avonmouth for about a mile, stopping whenever I thought I saw one of the birds, and there were about half a dozen. They were solitary and at the side of the river, occasionally venturing up the mud a little. They were about half the size of the mallard, and were probing the mud, I saw one pull up a worm. One of them was bobbing his head and upper body in a very peculiar fashion, none of the others did this, though so far as I could see, all were the same species. The brown upper body, red fairly long legs, and the white flash at the edge of the wings when one of them flew, together with a slightly speckled chest, I think, nails them as redshank. The web picture, here from the RSPB, is not very good. Certainly not any of the other related candidates from the RSPB web site (greenshank, ruff, spotted redshank). I could not see the upper part of the bill too clearly - that should be red also. Next time!
Among the mallard was one brown red duck, looking very out of place; identity?
After the ride? Well where else but the Merchants Arms, Hotwells, for a pint of Bath Ales beer and a pork pie. John still had some Festivity left "Specially Crafted Rum Porter". An excellent breakfast.