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.