Thursday September 6th

I wonder if I spotted a Whimbrel on the mud just below Sea Walls!? The bird was around the same size as some of the Common Gulls, and much smaller than a young Herring Gull which perched near it - the gull scuttled away when the wader approached it. Thus this wader was quite small for a Curlew; I watched it for ten minutes or so whilst it carefully probed the mud beside the storm drain outflow. I spotted it later as it flew up river towards the docks under the Peregrine Watch. Whimbrels are migratory, moving to Africa at about this time of year, but more commonly seen in groups, but they are very rare, especially so, I suspect in the Avon Gorge. As it flew underneath the Watch I had a glimpse of it, and my first thought was 'Curlew', now I'm not so sure, the top of its body was strongly marked, curlew-like, but ... It flew rapidly and quite close to the water.
There were cormorants near the presumed Whimbrel at one stage, they were certainly double its size. Whilst I was intent on watching the wader by Sea Walls a lady with a dog asked whether a bird she had just seen was a Peregrine, it was being ragged by a Crow. Very likely I think! Later, a young Peregrine landed in the banana tree just before I left. Also, over in the top of the quarry to the right, and just above the cliff in that quarry, a couple of Roe Deer.