Thursday, 1st March

Two oyster catchers were on the mud just below Clifton Rocks' Cliff, I did not see any redshank. There was a very high wind, howling through the railings, the Council have continued with the repair of these railings - about time! When I passed the Peregrine Watch on my first circuit of the Downs, the jackdaws were wheeling around high in the sky, they were still there when I returned, but disappeared, and were nowhere to be seen. The reason was probably a hunting peregrine. I first saw her(?) just above Leigh Woods, she moved over the Gorge, and ascended, then circled. Slowly she worked her way towards the Watch, then high overhead, way up and circling, then she moved over above the woods on our side. Suddenly another peregrine dived at her, and I lost her. Courtship - or "keep off my patch"? Next, probably the same bird appeared over towards the suspension bridge, and resumed circling. I last saw her descending rapidly towards the woods, and lost sight of her. Where are they nesting this year?

Monday 26th February

The legs of two redshank positively glowed red in the sunshine as they fed on the mud under Clifton Rocks. Why were their legs so indistinct before? At the Peregrine Watch all was quiet at first, until another watcher pointed out a peregrine high in the sky towards the Clifton Suspension Bridge, she was gliding around, then coming down to tree level, then soaring up again. Once she made a swoop, and I saw another bird fleeing from him, she soared back up again, and worked her way in our direction. This bird was hunting, but I did not see a kill. She passed the Peregrine Watch, eventually she disappeared towards the cliffs to the right of the Watch, and I did not see her again. I think the Americans call the peregrine a 'duck hawk', and there were a number of mallard flying around, but no peregrine strikes. Earlier a heron came down river, and perched at the water outflow to the right, then a cormorant, to be joined by another from the river side. They both flew on down river. Finally a kestral flew right above us at the Watch, she disappeared off over the Downs. A really beautiful morning, I only left when I started to get cold - I'm in shorts and sandals now!

Friday, Sunday 23rd,25th February

On both days I passed the Peregrine Watch around midday. The tide was high, with only small stretches of mud on the river side. Only Sunday was eventful, first I spotted a redshank just below Sea Walls, I looked for a second bird, but could not find one, and by the time I looked for the first one again, even he had disappeared!
The usual Sunday group of birders were on watch, and this time there was plenty to see. As I arrived a juvenile landed in the Leigh Woods trees, scattering a group of pigeons from their roosts! Later a pair of the raptors were seen flying over the woods slightly further up river. A third bird was with them, someone said it was a raven, but it could have been the juvanile. This continued for a while, and since this is the time when the pairs return to their nests, I wondered if we were to be treated to a courtship display. I don't suppose that the younger bird would have been welcome! However, it was too cold to stand around for too long, so the last I saw of the pair was them coming in, first one, then a little while later, the other, to the cliff underneath us.