Friday, Sunday, Monday, 28th, 30th Novemeber, 1st December

Friday and Sunday were walking days but on Monday I braved the bitter cold on my bicycle.
Friday: walked the length of the Gorge rim from Observatory Hill to Sea Walls. I wanted some 'photos for the Downswatch website, in particular some around Observatory Hill. There are nooks and crannies to these Downs that make them a paradise (albeit cold now) for the wildlife; clearing the sides of the gorge to open up views akin to those in the 1820's seems like madness to me.
At the Peregrine Watch there was a curious excursion by a Sparrowhawk - maybe to be called "why did the Sparrowhawk cross the river". The bird left Walcombe Slade, glided across to the trees in Leigh Woods, did a couple of very brief circuits above the trees, and headed straight back the way it had come!
Sunday: I reached the Peregrine Watch just as one of the Peregrines was coming in to the cliff, I saw him for fractions of a second, then again very briefly a few moments later when he circled before returning to the cliff. A small flock of Redwings were flying around.
Monday: Too cold to linger long, there were Black headed Gulls very close to Ladies Mile, apart from the 'head phones' their red beaks and legs look rather paler than I remember from a close encounter in the Lakes this summer.

A nice comment about my blog from Des (thanks!), with a picture of a Bullfinch on Dyrdham Down:

Monday, Wednesday, 24th 26th November

Last Friday (21st) and Sunday (23rd) were very cold, but I did walk up to the Peregrine Watch, not that there was much to see apart from Jackdaws and Seagulls. On Monday a rare sighting (for me) of a pair of Wrens, first a small brown object which left me wondering how a leaf could move so fast, then, I assume, it's mate perched a few feet away on a bush, looked at me, and disappeared to join the 'leaf'. No Peregrines, but I think there were two Peregrines over in the oak (see last blog), and not a broken branch. In very cold weather the Redshank are not seen on the mud, today, Wednesday, there was bright sunshine and there were two under Sea Walls.

Thursday 20th November

Another bright morning, but with high clouds and a slight wind from the north west. There was a blindingly bright sun reflection from the river at Sea Walls. A couple of Redshank, but the rising tide and a small area of mud was driving the birds from their feeding ground. At the Peregrine Watch a bird could be seen opposite, perched in the oak, and just to the left another light object. yesterday I thought that this was a second Peregrine, today, I'm not so sure. It could be a broken branch. I'll see if it still appears on future visits.

Friday, Sunday, Wednesday, 14th, 16th, 19th November

On Friday I watched a Redshank having a bath in the river side below Black Rocks. It fluffed up its' feathers and sprayed water all over them, them wriggled and jostled them back into order, all the while working on the plumage with its' long beak, then it left the water for the riverside mud, and shook itself like a little dog. During this wash the beautiful white wing stripes and the red legs came into and out of view. Magical!
Sunday gave a glimpse of a Peregrine disappearing around the corner of Black Rocks and into the Gully, then at the Watch another Peregrine swooped past a group of Jackdaws near the Jackdaw tree, driving them into the bushes at the top of the cliff. The bird was only bullying, not hunting. It is good to show who is boss occasionally.
Today, Wednesday, the river formed long convex ripples which appeared to move upstream as a north westerly wind blew across the surface. First one, then the other Raven appeared from over Sea Walls and flew into Leigh Woods to the left of the Peregrine Watch, they stayed a while, then took off, circled over by Nightingale Valley and came back past me. As one passed it let out a single faint RAAK. The wing-tip feather of these mighty majestic birds separate as they fly. They both disappeared over towards Shirehampton again. What were they investigating on this there-and back-again journey? What did one of them say to me?
Over in Leigh Woods the leaves have all gone, and the Peregrines are back on their customary roosts opposite. I could see two light specks in the oak tree slightly to the left of twin tree stumps covered in ivy, one bird faced me, the other had its' back to me and was just behind the tree branches. Both birds moved slightly, so were probably digesting meals.

Sunday November 9th

A large group of Jackdaws in tight flight, wheeled and gyrated in a strong wind, then set off over us across the Downs. A Peregrine flew past and disappeared down towards Snyed Park.

Friday 7th November

A walk to the Peregrine Watch today, not that it was that cold. Six Redshank on the mud opposite, about to be driven off by the incoming tide.
I was told that there was a Peregrine perched over opposite on the 'white cliff', but could not see it. Chris Jones sent me this fine picture of 'Bubo', I have been told that this Eagle Owl is a male - and that the females of the species are even larger.

Tuesday, Thursday, November 4th, 6th

On Tuesday I walked over to the Peregrine Watch, taking the route around the Downs roads. There were large flocks (hundreds) of Blacked Headed Gulls, mixed with a few Rooks, Crows and Jackdaws; since the grassland was very wet, the pickings must have been good. Some gulls made the most of Downland which had been churned to mud by a fun fair on Saturday last. One of the houses on Rockleaze has chicken in the front garden! I think that they were Cuckoo Marans - one of the worlds finest fowls for eggs. The tide was high, so not much to be seen. Just as I was about to leave the Peregrine Watch there was a commotion right in front of me, a peregrine chased a couple of Jackdaws, probably out of habit rather than hunger since it disappeared up into the Gully. The rest of the jackdaw flock arose from their perches on the cliff and milled around for a while before deciding that the danger had passed.
On Thursday I was on my bicycle again. The Downs were very cold, so it was not pleasant to linger at the Peregrine Watch - and my glasses steamed up rapidly when I stopped cycling. The river was very still, so that the reflections of the trees opposite were sharp in the water. Whilst I was looking at this the first Redshank flew in low over the water to land on the mud, the white flashes on his wings making him large and obvious.