Friday 7th November

A walk to the Peregrine Watch today, not that it was that cold. Six Redshank on the mud opposite, about to be driven off by the incoming tide.
I was told that there was a Peregrine perched over opposite on the 'white cliff', but could not see it. Chris Jones sent me this fine picture of 'Bubo', I have been told that this Eagle Owl is a male - and that the females of the species are even larger.

Tuesday, Thursday, November 4th, 6th

On Tuesday I walked over to the Peregrine Watch, taking the route around the Downs roads. There were large flocks (hundreds) of Blacked Headed Gulls, mixed with a few Rooks, Crows and Jackdaws; since the grassland was very wet, the pickings must have been good. Some gulls made the most of Downland which had been churned to mud by a fun fair on Saturday last. One of the houses on Rockleaze has chicken in the front garden! I think that they were Cuckoo Marans - one of the worlds finest fowls for eggs. The tide was high, so not much to be seen. Just as I was about to leave the Peregrine Watch there was a commotion right in front of me, a peregrine chased a couple of Jackdaws, probably out of habit rather than hunger since it disappeared up into the Gully. The rest of the jackdaw flock arose from their perches on the cliff and milled around for a while before deciding that the danger had passed.
On Thursday I was on my bicycle again. The Downs were very cold, so it was not pleasant to linger at the Peregrine Watch - and my glasses steamed up rapidly when I stopped cycling. The river was very still, so that the reflections of the trees opposite were sharp in the water. Whilst I was looking at this the first Redshank flew in low over the water to land on the mud, the white flashes on his wings making him large and obvious.

Friday 31st October, Sunday 2nd November

I walked through "The Dumps" to get to and from the Peregrine Watch; an advantage of walking is that you see more - a wren, chaffinches, a Jay, Magpies (lots!), and one that was too quick to recognise, but it had a white(ish) chest. There were Redshank on the mud below the Peregrine Watch.
Sunday was not quite as cold as Friday, so I chanced a cycle ride, and was regretting it by the time I got to Ladies Mile for the first time. When there is mud, the Redshank are permanent fixtures at this time of year. Saturday night was very wet, so the annual fireworks display combined with parking and a funfair made the Downland behind the Water Tower into a ploughed field. Several hundred Gulls were spread out onto two large areas behind this mud.
Geraldine Taylor's new book The Bristol Downs, a natural history year has been published. Yours truly has a short section and a link to this Blog from it! Buy!