Saturday, Sunday 27th, 28th January

This was garden birdwatch w/e. I did see a dunnock and a couple of blue tits in the front garden on our mulberry tree, and there was a jay perched on a chimney on Clare Avenue, but these were on friday so it did not count! A big zero during the w/e in our back garden!
Saturday. At the peregrine watch the jackdaws were circling around in pairs, it is as if they have invisible bands tied between them. A heron flew down river.
Sunday. A peregrine appeared from the direction of the Suspension Bridge, circled around for a while, then disappeared back the way it had come. Some mallard were in the water by Sea Walls, and (thanks to a new pair of binoculars) I was able to spot some small brownish waders at the side of the mud on the river, they were solitary, but exactly what they were, I'm not sure: redshank (possible), curlew (possible), bar-tailed godwit (possible), dunlin (doubtful). Even with the glasses (10x42) it was difficult to see any details. A cormorant flew over the Downs by Sea Walls, it is unusual to see them away from the river.

Wednesday 24th January

There was no frost this morning, but it was very cold. The river was slack, the tide neither coming nor going. Very, very little activity from any birds, but seven mallards at the opposite side of the river, four drakes and three hens! A very large group of gulls on the football pitch beside Ladies Mile.

Sunday, Tuesday January 21st, 23rd

Sunday was uneventful, if a bit windy. A lone cormorant flew over Leigh Woods, and the river was speckled with a couple of hundred gulls. The temperature is dropping, so that by Tuesday we had a sharp frost. I don't often see black backed gulls (usually herring, common and black headed) on the Downland, today, there were three near the road by Sea Walls, alrge ungainly birds waddling around on the grass. Beside the Peregrine Watch a large group of jackdaws were flying around, some swooping low over my head, and flying around in a large flock above the river. At first I thought that a peregrine was around, but none were visible. What else can cause this kind of behaviour? The jackdaws crowded onto their tree, and many of them settled on the grass behind me for a short while, then off flying again. The ground was still hard and frozen, but maybe someone had put some food down. On Sunday there was a programme on BBC about Red Kites. I overheard someone at the PW say they had seen a kite some time back. See for more.

Tuesday 16th January

Small groups of starlings and gulls on Durdham Down. Most of the Bristol jackdaw population seemed to be at the corner of Ladies Mile and Circular Road. On the mud of the river a large group of gulls were resting. I also saw mallards dabbling around, a mystery small black and white bird flew over the mud below Sea Walls, it seemed too large for a wagtail, but flew a little like one, so maybe was! Two lesser black backed gulls flew down river, low over the mud. Lots of signs of birds pairing up in the mild weather.

Sunday 14th January

From home to the Peregrine Watch is about three and a half miles across Bristol. This morning was bright and clear with a large number of Sunday walkers, joggers, cyclists and car drivers(!) making the most of the sunshine. Most of the flood water on the Downs has cleared away, so there were a couple of junior football groups out playing on the pitches. At the Gorge, few birds apart from the usual pigeons flitting around Leigh Woods, and the usual crows, seagulls and mallards. I avoided the Peregrine Watch this morning, there was a large group of 'birders' where I usually stop, so I went down the path at the side of the Gorge a little way, and came back through the woods and joined the road again at the bottom of Ladies Mile.

Tuesday, Wednesday 9th, 10th January

Wet, wet, very wet! There was much water on the low-lying parts of the football pitches, and the road was nearly covered from either side coming up to the Peregrine Watch. I only managed to get out later on Tuesday afternoon, and even then got caught by the rain. Wednesday was bright, sunny, but cold so waiting around at the Peregrine Watch gave me cold feet. Jackdaws in pairs, and gulls flying around in the wind, and feral pigeons dashing over the river to Leigh Woods. A huge flock (200+) of gulls probing the grass and water behind the Water Tower. No peregrines either morning.

Sunday 7th January

I was all dressed up for a cycle ride when the heavens opened, so I walked to the peregrine watch, coming back via Waitrose for a Sunday paper. By the time I got to the Gorge the sky was lighter, there was some weak sun, and it was windy. Crossing the downs, I saw a solitary pied wagtail on the path, but was pondering the fact that there were very few birds around apart from feral pigeons! No sparrows, I miss them.
The Gorge was very rewarding. I have never seen the jackdaw tree so crowded, a large flock of perhaps 50 birds all tried to land in it at once! Then there were large groups of gulls, they tend to fall around in the wind, spiraling high in the air above the river. Recognising birds at a long distance is tricky, but gets easier with experience. A peregrine took off from the trees in Leigh Woods and flew towards the suspension bridge, it could have been a pigeon at that distance, but for the economical flight with few wing beats. Then there were some buzzards over towards Sea Walls, mingled with gulls and rooks they are sometimes difficult to spot - unless they are being mobbed: this morning, because of the distance I was not sure whether there were two or more. A mystery bird flew over the top of the woods, at first I thought it was a cormorant, but the flight was wrong.
A curious optical effect. A jay landed on the bright grass beside the Portway road, I stared at it trying to see what it was doing, then glanced away at the trees opposite, so see them turn into a band of purple, complementary to the green I had been fixed on.