Wednesday 6th June

A glorious morning, but with a cool wind from the North. The Peregrine watch was very active with one of the birds soaring around repeatedly. I have heard that there are three chicks, so I'm surprised not to see a ferry service of food items for them. The birds I saw may have been hunting, but it looked more like they were admiring the scenery. The other birds were also very active, a young (tailless) Jackdaw came to within a few feet of me on the fence, then went over to the Jackdaw tree to bother its parents. I could not identify a small butterfly that settled on a branch below me, broad brown edges to its wings, and a dusky yellow wing.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, 3rd-5th June

I've been away for two weeks, walking along the Cleveland Way. Lots of birds: Golden Plover and Red Grouse, baby Tawny Owls, Guillemots and Fulmers, lots of meadow pipits and skylarks. Penguins in Scarborough! Yes, one peregrine off the cliffs before Whitby.

Sunday was very quiet, no peregrines, only a lone cormorant flying down river, and a heron came up river, gliding with bent wings and landing near last years rock fall, also a wren passed at speed - like a large brown bumble bee!

10.15am Monday was much more eventful, but in a way that I did not like. The day was very overcast and rather cold, when I got to Sea Walls I looked at the place where the peregrine nest is and saw that a couple of climbers were starting an ascent right below the nest! One red hat with blue top, the other a white hat. Their progress was very slow, in fact I think it took a couple of hours to get to the top. I cycled across to the peregrine watch, no sign of the peregrines, nor could I see them from Sea Walls, though I repeated the journey back and forth at least half a dozen times, and could see Jackdaws flying off the cliff near the climbers. No Peregrines. The climbers passed within 20 feet of the nest site up a piece of the rock face that looks flat from over by Sea Walls. There were a couple of bird watchers at the top by the peregrine watch, I wonder what happened when the climbers appeared? I did not wait to see the end of tha climb and left just before noon.

Tuesday. A beautiful bright blue warm day. Cormorants and a Heron flying down river. Lots of onomatopoeic Jackdaws. Then a peregrine came in low and down to the cliff, he circled several times, moved over towards Leigh Woods at one stage, and came back, landing below on the cliff again. I'm not sure, but there may have been a second bird over on the Leigh Woods side. Tonight, BBC Points West reported on the peregrines, and said that there were three chicks (eggs?) this year. If they have not hatched then chances are that the bird would sit tight as the climbers ascended. So maybe all is well. I wonder if the climbers even knew about the nest site?

Sunday 20th May

A bright, slightly cool day; the Downs were especially pleasant since cars were being excluded from most surrounding roads in preparation for a charity run. That did not stop a group of birders setting up cameras and telescopes at the Peregrine Watch. I saw one peregrine and another rather browner raptor - probably a sparrow hawk.

I'm walking the Cleveland Way for the nest two weeks. I wonder what birds I'll be able to see? The route takes me along the coast from Saltburn to Filey, so various sea birds, and there should be grouse on the moors.

Monday 14th May & Tuesday 15th May

Monday. What a contrast! The Gorge was glorious this morning, sun and clouds with a warm wind blowing the cloud shadows up the river. The rooks and crows were all out on the Downs probing the still wet grassland. The raven's nest is deserted now, just a pile of sticks. I did not see the peregrines, but guess that there may be a nest on the cliff beneath.

Tuesday. No ride this morning, but I walked into town, then on via the Merchants Arms in Hotwells for a pint and pork pie. Then on up the Gorge beside the river. Lots of herring gulls and the odd lesser black backed gull, the tide was very low. I stopped underneath the peregrine watch - and was rewarded by the peregrine pair flying around in front of their nest. It is quite difficult to spot them landing since they move so fast and blend in with the cliff for their approach run. I crossed the road and climbed in onto a small tarmac area under the cliffs. Looks like some road remains. This brings you right up under the nest. One of the birds came in and settled on the cliff about 10 meters down the cliff and to the left. I could see its head very clearly, even without binoculars, it took off, circled above me warily, and flew away. I guess they may not be so used to people on the ground below, so I beat a retreat. The camera cable leading down towards the nest is very obvious from below. My walk took me on to the small valley (Walcoombe?) just before Sea Walls, and yes, there is a path to the top of the Downs, it is marked on the map at the top of Sea Walls cliff. Then home.

Sunday May 13th

We have been away for a week and a half, on holiday at the caravan site in Durdle Door on the Dorset coast. Along the cliffs there were few sea birds, however I did spot a peregrine rushing along, otherwise several shags - much smaller than the cormorant, and some herring and other gulls. The campsite has a large overhead rookery in the pines which give the site some shelter. Skylarks, swallows and swifts, pied wagtail and robins, and stonechats on the bushes near the cliffs. Swanage had a pretty colony of black headed gulls.

Today was wet and got wetter as I cycled, so that by the time I arrived home I was drenched to the skin. Not nice for cycling. The gorge was not a place to linger this morning.

Tuesday May 1st

Happy May Day! Bristol Morris Men were up dancing on Castle Green at sunrise, 5.42am, this year was beautiful and very warm. Even the plane trees around St Peters are in full leaf. We had three sides out this morning, 20+ men and a small audience (which initially included herring gulls). Around 7am we all repaired to the Hope and Anchor for breakfast and beer. We will be dancing at various Primary/Junior Schools during the day.
I cycled to town for the dancing, then came back via the pub and then the Peregrine Watch. It was very quiet up there, with the morning sun coming from directly behind, and a high tide. No peregrines, and very few other birds apart from gulls and jackdaws.

Sunday April 29th

This morning: a cormorant, some mallard, a couple of buzzards and a view of four of the raven chicks, one of them venturing out onto a rock ledge some feet from the nest. Meanwhile one of the parents was circling high above the cliff, no doubt keeping an eye open for other birds of prey. I'm told that there are five raven chicks, but could only see four through the binoculars. A report in today's Observer says that raven are very intelligent, up with apes and dolphins. Finally, everyone was brought to their feet by a really high speed swoop into the gorge by one of the peregrines. I think it was probably the male showing off. Meanwhile, log in to the amazing CONE project in California and shoot yourself some finches! See: http://cone.berkeley.edu/camera