Thursday 12th June

Three Peregrines this morning, the male and female flew around under the Peregrine Watch, and I suppose onto their nest. Then another bird appeared over the Gully, and flew in wide circles up and over me, then over towards Clifton, back over by the Suspension Bridge, and finally disappearing as a speck far over Leigh Woods to the west. This was a hunting Peregrine, but she made on swoop. There was another sighting of that Cormorant that thinks it is a Peregrine, appearing high over the Gully, it circled and glided over me, then did a rapid slip off over towards the Zoo!

Wednesday 11th June

I have been away in the Lake District with my sister Ann, Fell Walking for a week. No cycle rides! A visit to Haweswater with the potential to see the Eagle was irresistible! And we were very lucky - also not to fall off the very scary ridge climb. My comment below was to the RSPB Haweswater visitor book. Addendum, they don't publish everything! Apparently the comment below was not sufficiently interesting ...... (17-6-08)

"We walked up the rough and dangerous 3 km path above Riggindale, over Swine, Heron and Eagle Crags, then between Rough Crag and coming by Caspel Gate the Eagle appeared, soaring around the top side of the Blea Water Crag. It was about 1.30pm. He glided around the crags for some minutes, and I thought he was about to land, but then he ascended rapidly up into the strong wind blowing over High Street. I took the glasses off him, but could not see which way he flew. We only realized how strong the wind was when we reached the cairn above Long Stile. This is one scary walk! Coming over the top another group of five large birds was flying low over to the west of Racecourse Hill. I was attuned to the Eagle, but these could not possibly be Eagles!! I suspect a Raven family, since the birds were pretty well all the same size, and that would be like the Ravens that hatched three chicks earlier this year on the Bristol Avon Gorge, then went off with their parents. The wind was so strong on Monday afternoon on High Street that it was difficult to hold my binoculars, so judging the size and distance of this quintet was difficult, and they soon disappeared. There were a large number of Geese at Mardale Head, but I could not recognise them. Wow!!!
John Maher and Ann Casey"

We stayed in Ambleside at Smallwood House, Compston Road. Christine and Anthony Harrison made us very welcome in their delightful hotel, and we thank them for their hospitality and for providing a base for our walking days.

Friday 30th May

As I cycled past Sea Walls I had a glimpse of a red-brown Kestrel as she disappeared into Walcombe Slade, then later at the Peregrine Watch a couple brief views of the female Peregrine, she circled out into the Gorge a couple of times, then back to the nest. It cannot be too long before the chicks hatch - they may have done so already. How many this year?

Tuesday, Thursday, 27th, 29th May

This is my 250^th entry! Tuesday was cold, grey and unlike a May morning, today, after yesterday's heavy rain, was foggy at the start, but cleared to blue sky and clouds, the remnants of the rain left large puddles and a very humid warm atmosphere.
I spotted the Peregrine almost immediately, she was perched, facing me on a small S-shaped branch on what I later decided was an oak. She sat, firstly like a little gold trophy, then as she began preening her feathers, she showed many different poses. From her crop, I guess she had fed recently, and was sitting in the sunshine digesting her kill.
Forty years ago Geraldine and I visited Kilibegs in Donegal, and I remember going to the harbour to watch a fishing boat discharge a catch of mackerel, the Herring Gulls were diving onto the catch, taking off, and swallowing their booty whole, almost at the same time a huge quantity of white excrement issued from their rear ends. We retreated rapidly! So it was with this Peregrine, it looked as if she had discharged a bucketful! After this she moved to the back of the tree behind the foliage, just visible when one knew where to look.
Whilst I was watching her, one of the others at the Peregrine watch told me that the male was flying around below the cliff, no doubt a brief exercise between sitting on the eggs. The male does help with this, doesn't he? I wonder how many chicks there will be this year?

Friday 23rd May

A quiet morning, the tide was still coming in. No peregrines, but there were Swifts flying high up above the river, and a trio of Mallard flying around like spitfires!

Wednesday 21st May

A Cormorant flew downstream low over the river water, following the river bends and racing the traffic on the Portway; the bird was easily matching the cars which travel at between 40 and 50 mph. The still, high water level, probably helped it, but I was amazed at the birds' turn of speed. I had a brief view of the male Peregrine as he came into the cliff below the Peregrine Watch.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, 18-20th May

The temperature has dropped by ten degrees from last week, and there is a cold north wind, only when the sun comes from behind the clouds does it feel like late May. I saw the Peregrines today and Sunday, on each occasion coming from somewhere in the trees and after circling several times over the river, landing under the cliff.
The estuary is very quiet at present, few gulls or ducks, and no Redshank. I usually look down river from Sea Walls with my glasses to see if I can see anything on the mud. Today I was rewarded with the sight of a pair of Shelduck, a large male and his accompanying smaller mate, they were well down river so a little difficult to see. A Lesser Black Backed Gull was taking an interest in whatever the male duck had found in the mud, and the duck kept the gull at bay - also enabling me to see that the duck was larger than the gull. So these were certainly not a pair of Shoveler ducks.
On Monday, in nearly the same place, but over the grass beside the river, a Kestrel was hunting. Every now and again the bird dived and flew over the nearby road (chasing something?), so that on a couple of occasions it nearly collided with passing vehicles - a large coach in particular. Eventually the Kestrel gave up the river side and disappeared into the woodland beside Snyed Park.