June 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th

I'm getting lax in my postings, and forgot last week! The Peregrines can be seen flying and perching opposite, sometimes on the now vacant Raven's nest, other times in the banana tree (a small birch tree just above and to the left of the Raven's nest). I heard that there were two Peregrine chicks, but that after someone went down to see them preparatory to trying to ring them, that there was only one?! I also heard that two rings were then placed on the remaining unfortunate chick! Couple that with a report I had today (Thursday, June 11th when I did not cycle), that someone had been around and put small numbered bamboo posts beside all the bee orchids. Why ring? Why label? Why do we interfere with wildness?

The Kestrel nest is still intact so far as I can see, and the parents can be seen coming back and forth. They must have chicks, but when will they fledge? It must be soon. I see climbing parties further over on the Black Rock cliff, but this does not seem to perturb the Kestrel parents. They are far more worried about keeping nosey Jackdaws away from their patch!

Thursday, 28th May

The Black Rock Kestrels both appeared from their nest a few minutes after I arrived around 9am. One disappeared back into the nest whilst the other sat on the rock face a few feet below the nest. A Mallard drake appeared from underneath the cliff, flying round in an arc, and disappearing back again! The sitting Kestrel rose from its perch on the cliff, hovered briefly and disappeared after the duck! A few minutes later the Kestrel disappeared back into the nest hole - but I was too slow to see if it carried anything - a duck chick? I know that ducks nest in daft places, but up on Black Rock cliffs near a Kestrel nest?!! Anyway it was a drake, and I don't think they sit on the eggs at all.
At the Peregrine Watch I could see a Peregrine perched on the side of the, now empty, Raven's nest. It moved occasionally, preened itself, but did not fly.

Tuesday - May 19th, May 26th

A long gap without rides or posts! Hospitals, holidays, weather all kept me away from the Downs on my bike. I did manage several walks around the whole Downland.

On one walk I discovered a lone Sorbus wilmottiana - Wilmott's Whitebeam planted in the border leading onto the Suspension Bridge. I am incredulous that Bristol City Council (The Downs Committee) are perfectly prepared to sacrifice 10% of this trees total world population (42 trees - maybe 43 with the one by the bridge) to goats in Walcombe Slade. See: The distribution and population sizes of the rare English endemic Sorbus wilmottiana E. F. Warburg,Wilmott’s Whitebeam (Rosaceae).

On another visit a month ago I made another discovery - a kestrel nest on the cliff face of Black Rock. It is beside a large patch of ivy, and hidden by a small dead bush. On several visits I have seen the birds going in and out, circling above the quarry, chasing, and being chased by the local Jackdaws and Crows. This last tuesday both birds left the nest and flew rapidly towards Walcombe Slade. I waited about 15 minutes, but they did not return, so the vole catching cannot have been easy!

Last Tuesday I met a bird watcher who reported seeing a female Goshawk going up and down the Gorge. Lucky! lucky! During my occasional visits over the last month I spotted the Peregrines on several occasions; they are reported to have chicks. The Ravens nesting opposite have left. How many Raven chicks fledged this year?

Thursday April 23rd - St George's Day

I visited the Peregrine Watch at about 8am and was pleased to see, probably the male, over in a lower oak tree. He was sideways on, so his lantern front was less visible. Then on to the Lord Mayor's House to dance with Bristol Morris Men and help him start St George's Day off.

Monday to Wednesday, 20th to 22nd April

Three cycle rides this week. I saw Peregrines only on Wednesday, the female came into the nest and the male left to sit over in a lower oak tree opposite. The Ravens are still on their nest, I think I can see a youngster? One of the parents sits on guard on the top of the yew tree to the left of the nest. On Monday there were two sets of Deer tracks on the mud opposite Sea Walls. No Redshank at the moment. The whitebeams are all coming out in bud, some more advanced than others. Look at the group just over the fence from Sea Walls, a 'daddy' tree surrounded by siblings of various ages. This shows very clearly how these lovely trees propagate - but is this one of the apomictic species?

Friday 17th saw an interview for the BEPP about the idiot proposal from BCC and Natural England, to put feral goats into the Gully in a pen. BCC have a propaganda wagon to try to persuade the good folk of Bristol that 'Goats Would Be Good' (to eat ...). However, putting six goats into a pen on the north side of the Gully will enable them to firstly eat the rare whitebeams, and when they run out of fodder, to escape, and probably have to be shot. As they were down in Studland Bay a couple of years ago.
When goats are penned in in this way do they cease being feral? In Burrington Coombe goats, Exmoor ponies and long horned cattle have about 300 acres to wander over (including the road which has cattle grids); down there they are not a problem. The road up Burrington Coombe is busy, but no where like the Portway.
Whilst the interview was taking place I watched a Kestrel circling around under the Black Rocks Cliff for several minutes.

Saturday to Tuesday, 4th-7th April

Saturday. I cycled via the Portway. Just beside the Wessex Water works, and on the walkway by the road, with lorries and cars thundering past, a minute black ball of fluff was lying. I nearly fell from my bike trying to stop - well they do tell you to walk that bit - it was an injured pipistrelle bat Pipistrellus pipistrellus (I discovered later that it was a pipestrelle). About the same size as my top thumb joint, and still very much alive so far as I could see, certainly injured, but I could not see how apart from a small lump on its face. What to do? I could not leave it there, and could not care for it, and did not want to leave it in the bushes. I decided to take it to the Zoo and contact Mandy Leivers. It wriggled in my hand, got rather hot and torpid, but we got there and the girls on the counter produced a small cardboard box for the bat while Mandy called around to some of her contacts on the Avon Bat Group. We took the little animal over to Mandy's office and tried to give it some water, but it seemed to prefer bathing to drinking, and was now moving around in the box at some speed. Very not dead! Mandy had contacted a vet student, Heidi, who could look after the pipestrelle.

I left and went on with my ride via the Peregrine Watch and Downs. At the Watch there were several fly-pasts and (eventually) a Peregrine landed in one of the oaks opposite.

Sunday. No Downs today, but Bristol Morris Men had a cycle tour around Yatton. We danced outside three local pubs. Well where else do you find Morris Men? I did see a Heron, but was too busy watching the somewhat rough paths to see much more. The Brompton bike is not nearly as pleasant to ride as the Dawes road bike, especially the saddle.

Monday, Tuesday The Peregrines were flying on both days, around the Gorge, landing in the trees opposite, and high up, probably hunting. The Ravens are still over on their nest, and on both days there was a large group of Redshank lined up on the river-edge mud below Sea Walls. I counted over 30 birds on Tuesday. The trees are now coming strongly into leaf, with the Horse Chestnuts leading the way. The Whitebeams have white buds on them, and many other trees are sprouting.

The pipestrelle. I had a 'phone call from Heidi this morning. The bat had an injured eye, and despite valiant efforts at feeding, it was getting weaker, so she had to put it to sleep. A sad ending, but the little animal did have some TLC, did not die miserably beside the Portway, and will have given a young vet some valuable practical experience. The head injury to its eye was just too severe, and despite tasty meal worm offerings it was fading fast. Thanks, Heidi and Mandy.

Sunday 29th, Tuesday 31st March

Sunday. A Peregrine and a Raven sparred briefly in the air above the cliff face to the left of the Raven's nest, the Peregrine diving, the Raven turning on its back in a ball to face the Peregrine. No feathers, so this was shadow boxing. A Peregrine eventually settled over in the oak tree opposite; they were flying around, sometimes into the nest.
Monday. The tide was still coming in, and the river was very full and still. A quiet morning with one good view of the female Peregrine circling around the cliff, and (supposedly) landing on the nest. I thought that I could see a Jackdaw under the bush in front of the Peregrine nest. Nesting? Some neighbours for these audacious small birds!