Wednesday: There was a large (100-ish) flock of Starlings on the Downland beside Saville Road, and the Jackdaw flock was on the grassland beside Circular Road. Not surprising in view of the wind coming up from Avonmouth, it would have been brave Jackdaw that tried to perch in the eponymous tree! I 'think' I could see two Peregrines hiding behind the branches of the oak.
Thursday: Calm, light winds, with high cloud. A Cormorant flew over Circular Road as I came up to Sea Walls, this time there was enough mud for a few Redshank. The tide was coming in; a man with a lurcher dog was examining a little red kayak that had come up river with the storm, I noticed it yesterday. In the oak two Peregrines sat, one a couple of metres above the other, the lower one with a grey back to me, the other with a white chest and black mask. The lower one turned around, and since she looked larger, this was the female. Courting time and Magpies, Jackdaws, Rooks and Crows appear in pairs.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Tuesday 11th March
The spring tide was so high that it nearly overflowed onto the cycle path, but at least this will clear some of the wood chippings! This was also a very wet morning for cycling. A large flock of Jackdaws was circling around the Jackdaw tree, as always they are in pairs, even in flight; a couple of dozen landing in the tree and surrounding bushes. They are very tame, taking little notice of me on a bicycle.
The white blob over in the oak looked a little unfamiliar, then it flew down to join its mate in one of the ivy covered trees - a Wood Pigeon not a Peregrine! I wondered what would have happened if one of the Peregrines had turned up and found a pigeon on its perch ...
The white blob over in the oak looked a little unfamiliar, then it flew down to join its mate in one of the ivy covered trees - a Wood Pigeon not a Peregrine! I wondered what would have happened if one of the Peregrines had turned up and found a pigeon on its perch ...
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Sunday 9th March
Both Ravens were visiting their nest, and the two Peregrines were perched over in the Oak tree, just a short distance apart. The Peregrines flew off over towards Bristol whilst I was watching, at around 9.50am. The tide was high (a spring tide), but just starting to recede, so no waders.
I have just read a fascinating article by Ed Drewitt and Nick Dixon (Diet and prey selection of urban-dwelling Peregrine Falcons in southwest England, E.J.Drewiit and N. Dixon, British Birds, February 2008, 101, 58-67) about the diet and prey of local and other SW Peregrines. An amazing variety of prey birds were identified over a period of nine years. Perhaps of greatest interest was the observation that the Peregrines are hunting at night, or at dusk and dawn. Despite seeing the Gorge Peregrines chasing the Abbots Leigh Wood Pigeons, and occasionally harrying the local Jackdaws, it looks as if these local birds (to the Peregrine cliff nest), are relatively safe!
I have just read a fascinating article by Ed Drewitt and Nick Dixon (Diet and prey selection of urban-dwelling Peregrine Falcons in southwest England, E.J.Drewiit and N. Dixon, British Birds, February 2008, 101, 58-67) about the diet and prey of local and other SW Peregrines. An amazing variety of prey birds were identified over a period of nine years. Perhaps of greatest interest was the observation that the Peregrines are hunting at night, or at dusk and dawn. Despite seeing the Gorge Peregrines chasing the Abbots Leigh Wood Pigeons, and occasionally harrying the local Jackdaws, it looks as if these local birds (to the Peregrine cliff nest), are relatively safe!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 5-7th March
On Wednesday the two Peregrines were clearly visible over in the oak trees, for the other two days they may have been sitting behind the bare branches, but it was difficult to tell. They also seemed to be in nearly identical p[ositions on the latter two days. The Jackdaws have been falling around the sky in strong winds, and the spindly red legs of the Redshank have become more visible in the sunlight. On Friday morning a Curlew accompanied a Redshank in a little circular inlet in the river mud opposite Sea Walls. The difference in size between these two waders is striking, the Redshank half the size of the Curlew. The Ravens seem to be nest building.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Monday, Tuesday, 3rd, 4th March
I have commented before that recognising birds is a problem when there are several species to choose, and these look all rather similar, and they are 100 metres or more below. These two mornings were very bright and cold, with a blue sky, so seeing was good.
Monday there were two birds, moving together as if a pair, this morning a solitary wader. The puzzle was Redshank or Greenshank (or Knot, or ... )? This time the flight feathers did no look like those of a Redshank, and I could not get a good view of the legs, which also looked a bit short for a 'Shank. The bill did no look right for a Greenshank. The mud is thick and soft below Sea Walls, so even a small wader can get its legs messy. Add to this, the change from winter to summer plumage, and juvenile and sex differences ... They could have been Knot!
On both mornings I thought that I saw a Sparrowhawk, first off Circular Road, then this morning at the side of Ladies Mile. But, was it a Kestral? Simply it had a single, prominent bar on its tail, the tail looked rather square and long when perched, a buff red brown, lightly speckled chest, and a greyer head. No, I come back to a Sparrowhawk, but with rather indistinct tail bands. The bird was perched on an Ash stump up the tree, peering around (I got a long hard stare from it), something that Kestrals sometimes do when hunting, but it was also flitting around, like a Sparrowhawk when hunting. (At the end of the month, the uninitiated could well mistake a Cuckoo for a hawk!)
A beautiful red vixen with a neat white tip to her tail was exploring the shrubs below the Peregrine Watch, last year we saw her with her cubs in a similar position.
Monday there were two birds, moving together as if a pair, this morning a solitary wader. The puzzle was Redshank or Greenshank (or Knot, or ... )? This time the flight feathers did no look like those of a Redshank, and I could not get a good view of the legs, which also looked a bit short for a 'Shank. The bill did no look right for a Greenshank. The mud is thick and soft below Sea Walls, so even a small wader can get its legs messy. Add to this, the change from winter to summer plumage, and juvenile and sex differences ... They could have been Knot!
On both mornings I thought that I saw a Sparrowhawk, first off Circular Road, then this morning at the side of Ladies Mile. But, was it a Kestral? Simply it had a single, prominent bar on its tail, the tail looked rather square and long when perched, a buff red brown, lightly speckled chest, and a greyer head. No, I come back to a Sparrowhawk, but with rather indistinct tail bands. The bird was perched on an Ash stump up the tree, peering around (I got a long hard stare from it), something that Kestrals sometimes do when hunting, but it was also flitting around, like a Sparrowhawk when hunting. (At the end of the month, the uninitiated could well mistake a Cuckoo for a hawk!)
A beautiful red vixen with a neat white tip to her tail was exploring the shrubs below the Peregrine Watch, last year we saw her with her cubs in a similar position.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday February 27th
I had a fine view of one of the Ravens as it left Leigh Woods and came over towards Sea Walls, the size of these birds is impressive, especially when compared to one of the Crows that tried to mob it. This Raven took no notice of the Crow! The other Raven was beside the nest. There were numerous Black Headed Gulls on the river, this time with a slack tide. Were those Little Gulls that I saw yesterday - or just Black Headed Gulls? At the Peregrine Watch one of the Peregrines was sitting with its grey back to me in the Oak tree.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tuesday 26th February
The tide was high, a large flock of Gulls was drifting down river as the tide started to go out. There must have been a couple of hundred birds, some looked smaller than others, almost like little pieces of paper floating on the muddy water. Occasionally some of them got off the water and flew around a little, then returned. They were too far off to identify clearly, especially with the wind blowing in my face. I wondered what some of the gulls were, could they be Little Gulls en route to their Russian breeding colonies? The high winds of the last few days could have driven them from their Irish Sea wintering grounds. They remained on the river, drifting down out of sight towards Horseshoe Bend.
There was a Peregrine over in the Oak, he/she got up and flew out over the river, then back to his/her perch. It was probably the male bird, no sign of its mate today.
The wood chips left on the path opposite are starting to change colour, going brown as the wood tannins oxidise. The rain will have helped this process. I still object strongly to the sloppy behaviour of the contractors - and those who allowed it to happen.
There was a Peregrine over in the Oak, he/she got up and flew out over the river, then back to his/her perch. It was probably the male bird, no sign of its mate today.
The wood chips left on the path opposite are starting to change colour, going brown as the wood tannins oxidise. The rain will have helped this process. I still object strongly to the sloppy behaviour of the contractors - and those who allowed it to happen.
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