Monday 14th May & Tuesday 15th May

Monday. What a contrast! The Gorge was glorious this morning, sun and clouds with a warm wind blowing the cloud shadows up the river. The rooks and crows were all out on the Downs probing the still wet grassland. The raven's nest is deserted now, just a pile of sticks. I did not see the peregrines, but guess that there may be a nest on the cliff beneath.

Tuesday. No ride this morning, but I walked into town, then on via the Merchants Arms in Hotwells for a pint and pork pie. Then on up the Gorge beside the river. Lots of herring gulls and the odd lesser black backed gull, the tide was very low. I stopped underneath the peregrine watch - and was rewarded by the peregrine pair flying around in front of their nest. It is quite difficult to spot them landing since they move so fast and blend in with the cliff for their approach run. I crossed the road and climbed in onto a small tarmac area under the cliffs. Looks like some road remains. This brings you right up under the nest. One of the birds came in and settled on the cliff about 10 meters down the cliff and to the left. I could see its head very clearly, even without binoculars, it took off, circled above me warily, and flew away. I guess they may not be so used to people on the ground below, so I beat a retreat. The camera cable leading down towards the nest is very obvious from below. My walk took me on to the small valley (Walcoombe?) just before Sea Walls, and yes, there is a path to the top of the Downs, it is marked on the map at the top of Sea Walls cliff. Then home.

Sunday May 13th

We have been away for a week and a half, on holiday at the caravan site in Durdle Door on the Dorset coast. Along the cliffs there were few sea birds, however I did spot a peregrine rushing along, otherwise several shags - much smaller than the cormorant, and some herring and other gulls. The campsite has a large overhead rookery in the pines which give the site some shelter. Skylarks, swallows and swifts, pied wagtail and robins, and stonechats on the bushes near the cliffs. Swanage had a pretty colony of black headed gulls.

Today was wet and got wetter as I cycled, so that by the time I arrived home I was drenched to the skin. Not nice for cycling. The gorge was not a place to linger this morning.

Tuesday May 1st

Happy May Day! Bristol Morris Men were up dancing on Castle Green at sunrise, 5.42am, this year was beautiful and very warm. Even the plane trees around St Peters are in full leaf. We had three sides out this morning, 20+ men and a small audience (which initially included herring gulls). Around 7am we all repaired to the Hope and Anchor for breakfast and beer. We will be dancing at various Primary/Junior Schools during the day.
I cycled to town for the dancing, then came back via the pub and then the Peregrine Watch. It was very quiet up there, with the morning sun coming from directly behind, and a high tide. No peregrines, and very few other birds apart from gulls and jackdaws.

Sunday April 29th

This morning: a cormorant, some mallard, a couple of buzzards and a view of four of the raven chicks, one of them venturing out onto a rock ledge some feet from the nest. Meanwhile one of the parents was circling high above the cliff, no doubt keeping an eye open for other birds of prey. I'm told that there are five raven chicks, but could only see four through the binoculars. A report in today's Observer says that raven are very intelligent, up with apes and dolphins. Finally, everyone was brought to their feet by a really high speed swoop into the gorge by one of the peregrines. I think it was probably the male showing off. Meanwhile, log in to the amazing CONE project in California and shoot yourself some finches! See: http://cone.berkeley.edu/camera

Thursday 26th April

My 100^th post, and since each represents 10 miles, 1000 miles of cycling! No sign of the redshank feeding on the mud at low water. Where do they go to? No sign of raptors this morning, though from the number of 'birders' armed with cameras and big lenses there must have been some activity. The young ravens are plain to see on their nest. I could not locate the peregrine nest looking from Sea Walls with binoculars.

From my 'photos from Neis Vran in Northern Brittany, how many different waders can you see in the picture below? After the birds leave, the sand is peppered with beak marks and scuffed up all over the place. Click on the image for an enlarged view:

Wednesday 25th April

Back from a wonderful week in north Brittany at Neis Vran. Lots of birds to see - I'll put some 'photo up via Picasa Web. The horsechesnuts on Saville Road are now in full flower, with new bright green leaves, and over in Leigh Woods there is new foliage on the oaks. I met Chris Jones - not my daughter's partner, but a local photographer who has taken some fine 'photos of the peregrines. See http://www.chrisjphotography.com

Today's event was a buzzard who ventured too close to the peregrine nest on the cliff below, the peregrine flew out at speed, screaming at the buzzard (I assume!) to clear off. The buzzard obliged! The buzzard was next seen over the gorge descending into Leigh Woods, and shortly afterwards the peregrine returned to it's nest. The ravens did not appear, but the four youngsters can be seen quite well through glasses.

Friday April 13th

The weather was rather dull and cold this morning - I should have worn my gloves. The Peregrine Watch was very quiet, scarcely a bird to be seen or heard, neither could I see any redshank on the mud, despite the tide being so low that rocks were visible on the river bed. A few jackdaws did take off in a flock, then shortly after the unmistakable glide of a peregrine, down towards the river, coming from my left and going downstream over on the Leigh Woods side, and then across to the small quarry beside Sea Walls. He did not return. I did not see whether the bird came off the nest beneath the Watch. I could not see any ravens.