Monday, 20th August

Peering though binoculars after a sweaty cycle ride is sometimes difficult - ones glasses steam up so that the scene disappears into fog. This morning the air was quite cold, so the effect was worse than usual, on taking my glasses off to wipe them, they broke! Rather an old repair came apart, so that put an end to this morning's bird logging. Maybe there was a Peregrine lurking behind the banana tree, but I decided to cycle home and try another repair. typing a blog without my precious multifocals is difficult.

Sunday, 19th August

It was cloudy and a little cold today, intermittently, when the sun came out it became summer! A Peregrine was perched on the top of the yew tree opposite, he moved once, flew around the quarry, returning to the tree to become a statue for the rest of my visit. A Buzzard came past. When it first appeared over by Sea Walls it was chased by some crows, then it flew down around the tree tops opposite, and disappeared up towards the Suspension Bridge. Other visitors were a troop of Scouts, the Balmoral going down river and the Bristol open-top tours bus. The usual group of local birders were camped on chairs 10 meters back from the rim.

Saturday, August 18th

I did not stop at the Peregrine Watch this morning, however as I cycled up towards Sea Walls for my first circuit of the Downs a Buzzard and a Raven were flying over the Rookery to the right. Occasionally the Raven flew lazily at the Buzzard, there did not seem to be much aggression in it, when the two birds were close it was easy to see how similar in size they are.

Friday, 17th August

When I arrived at the Peregrine Watch there was a bird in a tree just above the yew tree. I did not see him go, but the next I knew a Peregrine was flying through the trees opposite, and at one stage was joined by another, probably his/her sibling. We were then treated to a stunning, roller coaster display of flying by one of the two, up high above us, stoops at nothing in particular, and an occasional pigeon routed from the trees. No kill. This was a teenager enjoying him/herself, and it went on and on, with the bird occasionally perching opposite before starting again. My usual short visit during cycling was extended to an hour. Chris joined me for this display, but 'photos were difficult. However he also managed to spot a very red fox lying in the bushes under our cliff, probably a vixen, and with more looking he found some other foxes nearby, probably the nearly grown cubs. The Avon Gorge is a magical spot for wildlife! Oh, and we also saw a Raven flying high above Sea Walls, it seemed to have an altercation with a seagull.

Good news, I'm told that the female with the damaged leg is still flying, and even that the leg looks a little better. Will she survive? And the winter? Let's hope so.

Wednesday, Thursday, 15th, 16th August

A Peregrine, a Roe deer, Mallard,a Cormorant, numerous Pigeons (feral and Wood), Jackdaws, Magpies, Crows, Rooks, Gulls - Black Headed and Herring, and those that look like Lesser Black Backed but one wonders if they are a cross with a Herring gull. There is an endless variety of activity and amusement from watching these creatures. The Peregrine was perched in the top of the yew tree, he/she exercised his/her wings, moved around in the top of the tree, but did not fly. The deer was feeding on the grass about half way up the quarry opposite. No sign of the fawn this time. Again the lazy flight of many of the other birds in the gorge, especially the pigeons, led me to believe that the Peregrine had a full crop! That was Wednesday. Today, Thursday, there was a strong NW wind, but it was warm and sunny with small, high clouds. A high tide, the water on the wall opposite showing that the tide was still rising. The Avonmouth wind turbines were moving fast. A Peregrine appeared opposite, as usual, one moment nothing, then the bird appears. This time a Buzzard appeared near to the Peregrine, the Buzzard circled lazily down river, passing close to me, so that the view through my binoculars was spectacular, he circled over to the small quarry on our right (by Sea Walls), then climbed up and over towards Shirehampton, where he joined two other Buzzards. I wonder if there was a nest of Buzzards somewhere nearby in Leigh Woods? I think I saw several Buzzards a week or so ago, and thought that they were high flying crows or gulls. For all this time the Peregrine was perched at the base of the banana tree, and did not move, I tried to point the Peregrine out to a lady, but even with the binoculars, and my encouragements she failed to spot it. We did see the 'Matthew' passing down river though.

Monday August 13th

The river was high and the tide just turned, with only a very feeble wind to turn the Avonmouth wind turbines. A Peregrine was perched over in the banana tree, he stayed put for all of the half hour that I watched the Gorge. He must have had a full crop. The pigeons were flitting around in a very unconcerned manner, no tension in the air! Ducks flew up river, the Jackdaws flew around and in and out of the Jackdaw tree. When I left to go home for breakfast I discovered why the scene was now quiet - just on the other side of the road was a huge mass of Pigeon feathers. Either this was a car accident, but there was no corpse, or, more likely, our Peregrine had made an early morning kill.

Sunday 12th August

I had not seen a stoop from high until this morning. There were at least two birds in the trees opposite, one took off and climbed rapidly over Leigh Woods, it must have been 1500 feet up, a speck in the sky. The bird circled for a long while, slowly and towards us 'till it was nearly above us, then suddenly it started to drop, very fast and towards the trees opposite. The next we knew was a pigeon lower in the gorge, and still being pursued by the Peregrine. We did not see the end of the saga, and both birds disappeared. I was rained on this morning, but the sun was out at the Peregrine Watch, and I was dry by the time I was home.