Tuesday 17th July

This was not a morning that I expected to see very much, with heavy rain showers and a brisk wind coming up the Gorge. I was at the Peregrine Watch at 10.45am, after about ten minutes two of the young peregrines flew past, as one came up river below me it was calling. After a while all three young birds were to be seen diving in and out of the trees over towards Nightingale Valley. They managed to put up a pigeon, and as it dived towards the river a large cloud of feathers erupted, I did not see the strike, the pigeon must have, somehow, survived because the three peregrines were seen again very shortly after, chasing around, and chasing each other. Then a flock of six or more cormorants flew past towards the Bristol Docks, they did not notice the kerfuffle, and the peregrines ignored them. The youngsters continued their chasing for a while, then came down past the Peregrine Watch and into the quarry too our right and above the storm water outflow. Then it rained, so they beat a retreat back to the cliff under us, and probably their old nest site. What a display, and the speed and mastery of flight that even the young birds can show!