Wednesday 6th February

Identifying birds is always a problem. This morning I watched what I thought at first was a Kestral, then a Sparrowhawk, finally deciding it was a Peregrine! I first saw the bird being mobbed by some local Crows, then it left them and started to climb, just how far up was not evident until I took the glasses off it. It was high, high up above Bridge Valley Road, then it went into a stoop - as only a Peregrine can. The two Peregrines were perched over in the Oaks opposite all this time, which I why at first I did not think "Peregrine".

My second identification is still a bit problematic.

At Sea Walls, immediately under the cliff among the rocks, mud, and gulls I spotted a small wader with a very dark back and a white underside. From above it was not possible to see much more. However this time there was also a Redshank nearby for comparison, and this new bird was considerably smaller. In my RSPB Handbook of British Birds there are a few choices: Dunlin or Knot in winter plumage, then Green Sandpiper or a Common Sandpiper. On balance I think I prefer Green Sandpiper as a slightly more common winter bird than its Common cousin. The Knot and Dunlin are much, much more common, but the winter plumage is darker. Has anybody reading this a better identification?

Tuesday 5th February

This morning's weather was a mixture of sunshine and showers, I just about managed to dodge the larger showers. Coming up to the Peregrine Watch along Circular Road a bird with half white wings flew over the road, at first I thought that it was a Magpie, on stopping I was amazed to see a Crow! I have not seen him before, though there was a Jackdaw with a lot of white feathers. The Crow has white wings from about his elbow joints, the rest is black so far as I could see. On the rest of the Downs a large flock of Black Headed Gulls were feeding on the grass, some are starting to loose their 'headphones' and gain their black caps.

The low tide brought the gulls and ducks out to the waters edge, I could see a few Redshank, and one came in to land immediately below Sea Walls just as I was watching a Curlew probing the mud. A very fine view of the Curlew indeed since he was close under the cliff on the mud.

Further on at the Peregrine Watch (I did not see the Crow on my second time past the Watch), I could see the two Peregrines over in the Oak tree, one with her grey back to me and partly hidden behind the tree branches, the other with (his, I think), white chest. He was above and slightly to the right of his mate. I did not stop too long as a raincloud came into view over Leigh Woods. By the time I got home it had caught up with me.

Wednesday 30th January, Monday 4th February

Last Tuesday I walked by the Peregrine Watch, and there were two Peregrines perched over in the Oak trees opposite, one flew briefly round the gorge and over the river, to land back in the same place. The next day when I cycled past there was a single bird in the tree. Today (Monday) a female Peregrine took off from the cliff below, flew round in a big circle, and back to the cliff. maybe all small signs that they are starting to nest. There was a Curlew and a few Redshank on the estuary mud this morning, sharing the mud with a large group of Gulls.

Friday, Sunday, Monday, 25th, 27th, 28th January

With a high tide (just on the turn) most bird activity is in the air, or for the Peregrines over in the trees opposite. On all three days there were Peregrines roosting in the oaks opposite, on Friday and Monday two, and Sunday one. They get up and fly occasionally, either returning to the oak roost, or coming over to land underneath the Peregrine Watch. You have to be quick to catch sight of them! This morning one of the two birds was just visible from Sea Walls. On Sunday a pair of Carrion Crows could be seen pestering a Buzzard over towards Sea Walls, they chased it over towards Leigh Woods, leaving it be once it reached the woodland. The Buzzard worked its way over the tree line, and then reappeared up by Nightingale Valley, where it was chased by another couple of Crows! Other birds during the three days - Mallard and Gulls on the river, Cormorants flying up river, then Magpies, Pigeons, Crows and Gulls on the Downs.

Wednesday 23rd January

This was a very dull morning with a heavy layer of cloud, the air was damp, but at least it was not raining. Large groups of Black Headed and Common Gulls, with the occasional Herring and Black Headed Gull were lined up on the mud, they occasionally rose in a large flock to fly over the water. I could see a solitary Redshank on the mud and small rocks below Sea Walls, no courting today. Neither were there any Peregrines visible, flying or perched in the oak. Maybe I needed to stay longer for a viewing?

Monday & Tuesday, 21st & 22nd January

Monday was so wet that when I reached Sea Walls I could see very little through the raindrops on my glasses, just enough to make out the forms of Gulls on the mud, and vague smaller brown shapes which I took to be Redshank. The Peregrine Watch was even wetter!
Tuesday was bright and clear with a watery sun. At Sea Walls as I peered immediately over the cliff I noticed two Redshank among the rocks on the mud below. Courting! The male all puffed up and walking round to attract the female, she looked rather unconcerned, but he enticed her into the water and with a flutter of white from their flight feathers, mated; afterwards they walked away from each other picking in the mud as they separated. Spring must be near. At the Peregrine Watch there were three Redshank on the mud below, it looked as if they were also playing the mating game. A Peregrine was over in the oak opposite, he (a small bird) flew over and below our cliff, then a little later reappeared again in the oak. A Kestral came and sat on a dead tree at the base of the cliff. A really beautiful bird with black tips to its wings and a beech-brown plumage.

A good day for my 200th posting on this blog.

Saturday, Monday to Wednesday, January 12th, 14th to 16th

The weather has been atrocious so I have been lucky to get any rides in at all. With a full river and little mud I don't see many Redshank, however they appeared on the small areas of mud made during a retreating tide, and, better still, I was able to see them fly. Usually they are pecking the mud and do little flying; I was lucky and twice caught several birds in my binoculars, and in flight when they show a beautiful white flash on their wings and under-belly.

At the Peregrine Watch, especially a little later in the morning, a female has taken up a perch in an oak tree just beside a little clearing between the two quarries opposite. The tree is slightly left of twin ivy-covered trees. I wonder if this is where she digests her kill in the morning? When there is sunlight her breast looks like a lantern and draws ones eye too her. She was present on three of the four days, and once left the perch to fly over to the cliff under the Watch, then a few minutes later, flying back followed by another Peregrine. The other disappeared into the trees, and despite a lot of searching, I could not find it.
The Jackdaws are very noisy at present, and (very obviously) mostly paired up, Gulls, Cormorants and Mallard are plentiful, so the stop off is usually worth it. Cold and wet drive one away.