Wednesday, Thursday, 19th 20th September

The weather has finally broken, on Wednesday there were birds scattered all over the downland making the most of the feeding attracted to the surface by overnight rain - Black Headed Gulls near Saville Road, and Magpies, Crows, Rooks and Jackdaws. In between these fat Wood Pigeons were waddling around. The Jackdaws have been flying around the Peregrine Watch in a large flock, they look as if they are just enjoying the wind, but that must be too much of an anthropomorphic idea. On Wednesday they seemed to be having an aerial dogfight with about half a dozen Magpies, at one stage one of the young female Peregrines made a swoop into this group - who scattered - but then resumed once she had flown on over the Gorge. On both days a Peregrine, probably the adult male was perched over in the banana tree, today (Thursday) it stayed put, yesterday it came over to rest under the Peregrine Watch. A large flock of swallows was flying over the slopes of Leigh Woods, into the quarries, and down among the trees. I thought that they had left for Africa, apparently not quite, though I expect they will be off now with the change in the weather. At Sea Walls a lone Redshank was close under the cliff, a couple more were just visible further down river. Otherwise Mallard, Cormorants and many gulls were around. The Gorge is always interesting, especially if watched carefully.