Tuesday November 20th

The morning was damp and cloudy, but with a misty sunshine. Some of the Horse Chestnuts on Saville Road, and the Beech trees inside Wills Hall grounds, still have a lot of golden leaves, and in the Gorge the Silver Birch trees are still yellow with their leaves. At Sea Walls there were several Redshank, a Heron and numerous Gulls and Mallard. I watched one of the Redshank for a while, it was walking up and down the mud feeding, and every now and again going into the river to wash its beak, at least that is what it looked like. There were Redshank every 100 meters or so this morning, they never seem to gather in groups like the other birds, always solitary.

Saturday and Monday, 17th and 19th November

The weather has turned, with both cold and rain, so I'm in long trousers for my cycling! It has been high tide on the river for the last few visits, but the mud is starting to reappear. On Saturday I watched a Redshank having a bath at the river edge under Sea Walls, flapping in the water, with the white flashes on its wings, and the red legs appearing at times. There were Redshank today, but this morning I had to hurry past the Peregrine Watch in the pouring rain.

November 7,8,13,14,15

I only spotted one Peregrine during this time, she was flying low over the back of Sea Walls, evidently trying to flush out some of the pigeons that perch in the trees on the gorge side. She swooped with such speed that I almost lost her from my glasses, then the next I saw was a few minutes later as she sped by under the Peregrine Watch. What speed! It is high tide at present, so there was relatively little to see for the whole five days: a heron flying low over the water, and landing near the storm drain, as he landed another got up. They are solitary birds. Then there was a kestrel flying past, and causing some consternation among the Jackdaws. This morning we had the heaviest frost of the autumn, so I did not linger.

Monday, Tuesday 5th,6th November

Redshank on the mud (and there was a lot of it) below Sea Walls on both days. Monday was very dull but today, Tuesday was sunny and more interesting. A quintet - Heron, Black Backed Gull, Cormorant, Crow and Mallard were all within yards of each other beside the Storm drain outlet, with a number of other gulls and ducks in the river nearby. At one point the Cormorant adopted the 'Batman' pose with its wings out, so there must have been some food at the drain. At the Peregrine Watch, just as I was about to leave, a Peregrine appeared, circling in and out of the trees, and moving right until it landed to perch in the top of a birch tree at the top of the right hand quarry. The Gorge Peregrines seem to use this technique to flush other birds, mainly pigeons out, this time it drew a blank, and I did not wait to seem if it resumed the hunt.

Friday to Sunday, Novemeber 2nd to 4th

Friday: This morning was glorious - the sun was reflected from the river so strongly that it blinded me! On the mud just below Sea Walls - as usual on this side of the river - was a Curlew and several Redshanks, making the most of the new mud exposed by the ebbing tide. On the other side of the river, a Heron was fishing. At the Peregrine Watch I saw a Raven sitting in the Banana Tree! That should keep the Peregrines out!
Saturday: Another glorious day, there were some Redshank (plural Redshanks?) on the mud on the usual side of the river below Sea Walls. At the Peregrine Watch I had a glimpse of a Peregrine going in to the woodland opposite between the two quarries, it was carrying prey, a little later it moved, still carrying, up into the top of the quarry above the Banana Tree.
Sunday: Today was very foggy when I left Bishopston, but it cleared on the Downs to a misty blue sky. I could not see any Redshank, but there were three Herons, two on the Downs side and one opposite, Sea Walls. No Peregrines, but the stay at the Watch was made very pleasant by the absence of any traffic on the Portway, which was closed for repairs to the Gorge rocks.

Thursday November 1st

I was entertained by a Kestral this morning, she flew past the Peregrine Watch several times, then hovering, then darting up towards the woods and valley to the right. All the time a Peregrine sat in the Banana Tree, motionless. The trees are more beautiful by the day, the edge of Leigh Woods over towards Portishead is a mass of yellows, oranges, and reds of every shade imaginable.

Monday to Wednesday, October 29th to 31st

Wednesday, at the Peregrine Watch. This morning's small male Peregrine was chased, very briefy, by a passing Seagull as it flew in to land on the cliff to the left of the Banana Tree where another Peregrine was sitting. Shortly after this the young female flew from the Banana Tree and onto the cliff beneath me. On Monday and Tuesday Peregrines flew round from the same cliff, often appearing for only a few seconds. Yesterday a Peregrine was chased by a Raven down the length of the Gorge beside the trees opposite, both finally disappearing around the promontory of trees down river. On Monday, in another chase below Sea Walls, a Buzzard turned on its back in midair to ward off a Crow. It is high water at present, with the tide just turning, the trees in Leigh Woods have lost most of their leaves, but in the Gorge, ash and oak still have some green, and the shades of yellow and red from the maples have to be seen to be believed - especially when the sun shines. Monday and Tuesday were bright and sunny, today duller but with some occasional sunshine.