Friday 16th January

Lots more mud when I arrived at the Gorge, this time around 3pm. There were Redshank, Cormorants and Mallard, with skeins of Seagulls flying down-river. Across in the oaks a peregrine stood out like a little lantern, and through my glasses I could see another bird within arms length of it, but with its grey back to us. Then they flew, first one, then the other, across the water and in under the cliff. To the nest? Looks like they are pairing up for this year's nesting.

Tuesday 13th January

My first cycle ride in a month! I started the cycle rides a couple of years before these blogs, at first it was a short ride, and not always around the Downs, keeping fit being the main aim. The distance went up to about 16kM by the time I started the blog - and was around the Downs all the time. Then I was attracted to the Gorge, and bought myself binoculars. But the purpose was always the exercise. A month out of the saddle brought this home to me.
Today. Redshank on the mud with a high, but ebbing tide, one landed just opposite the Peregrine Watch whilst I was there. A Jay flew from a tree below, and there was a Peregrine over in the oak tree. The stripping of the woodland beside Circular Road continues.

Sunday 11th January

A happy new year to all! This is the first blog in a month, blame the weather (cold), a trip up to Sheffield, and more cold. Warmer weather and rain has arrived so maybe I can start my bike rides again soon. Not Monday though, whilst I'm writing this it is pouring with rain outside.



On Sunday I put on my walking boots, took up my camera and binoculars, and walked over to Sea Walls, the strong wind made it feel a little colder than it was. En route a flock of Starlings, Black Headed Gulls, and a mixed flock of Crows, Jackdaws and Rooks were busy feeding off the soft Plateau grassland. For the last couple of weeks it has been hardened by frost. At Sea Walls it was low tide so I was pleased to see some of my old friends on the mud - the Redshank. At the Peregrine Watch a couple of flights of Mallard flew low and fast up river, but there was no sign of Peregrines. The Jackdaws were flying around, making a lot of noise, and landing in 'their' tree.

Peregrine watch scrub clearance
The side of the Peregrine Watch has been cleared of scrub, fine, it gives better views so we can see the foxes below again, but I can't help feeling that this 'clearance' is more drastic than in previous years. The birches and whitebeams have been spared, but the rest is much more open. It will be difficult to creep up on any Peregrines should they perch on the silver birch at the edge of the open area.



Over Enthusiastic Scrub Clearance, some might say Vandalism
I object very strongly to the "scrub clearance" now enacted at the top of Walcombe Slade and beside Circular Road. Several yew trees have been hacked about, but far worse, it is now possible to see right through from the leafy glades just beyond the roadside, and onto the road, where we have the pleasure of both seeing cars passing, parked, and hearing them. Clearing site-lines means clearing sounds lines. How much longer (with such disproportionate acts of scrub clearance) before there will be no places on the Downs, or in the sides of the Gorge, where we can escape from motors?



The picture shows a very fine old yew tree (possibly the oldest and largest on the Downs?), on the edge of a leafy glade just in from Circular Road, and before the slopes of Walcombe Slade are reached. So far it has been spared the chain saw and mechanical flail. Click on the image(s) for larger views.

(Monday, Tuesday 8th,9th December) Monday 15th December,

More walking. We still have very cold weather, when the sun is out it is lovely. Last week (8th 9th) there were Peregrines perched over in the oak. Today, none, but as I crossed the Down towards Sea Walls a Peregrine flew a few feet over the grass, chasing and chased by the Crows, Jackdaws and Gulls, and scaring all the other birds - particularly some Pigeons over near Rockleaze! The tide was high and still coming in, but the bitter cold did not encourage me to dawdle. I came across the top of the Gully, and just as I came onto the grass, out of the woodland, a Green Woodpecker sprang from the trees in front of me. No more Peregrines, but a Robin, several pairs of Blackbirds, and a flock of Fieldfare as I came back across the Down and through the Dumps. As usual numerous 'small brown birds', too far off to recognize properly. There are a great number of Wood Pigeons along my route from Bishopston, and on the Downs. They sit in the tops of the trees, hunched against the cold, nervously flying off if they perceive me walking past and under them, as a danger.

Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, 3rd, 6th, 7th December

It has been far too cold for cycling, so walking to the Gorge became my exercise! The sun was particularly brilliant over the weekend, so that the brilliant blue sky, the very still air, and a slowly rising tide, made the sun's reflection in the river from Sea Walls an almost perfect blinding globe. The suns warmth was palpable.
On Saturday the rare site of a Swan in the very center of the river gave the bridge scene a perfection that I have not seen before - the Suspension Bridge was reflected in the river with the bird and its own small reflection below it. Also on Saturday I walked down through the Gully, past Walcombe Slade and onto the Portway. At the top the Gully was very quiet and cold, and the path muddy and steep, few birds though. As the path descends it flattens a bit and the traffic noise starts to intrude. We take our life in our hands crossing the Portway, even with the new red Bus Lane. There should be a pedestrian crossing at the base of the Gully, by the Bristol Water site. Walking along the Portway footpath is not too pleasant, due to the fast, noisy traffic, but from this racket my attention was drawn to the river by a ringing, peeping, bird-call. A nervous Redshank was flying back and forth low over the water, probably objecting to me and a yacht coming up-river. It landed close to another Redshank on the opposite mud bank. Then a little later I saw a flight of half a dozen Redshank, again flying low over the water. There was a Peregrine perched in a Leigh Woods tree, then a couple of Ravens appeared, and he disappeared!
On Sunday, now from the top of the Gorge by the Peregrine Watch, I saw three Peregrines; two in a similar position in the trees, one as it came in to land; another flew up-river towards the Suspension Bridge.
On all the days, other birds: many Black Headed Gulls on the Downland; the inevitable Rooks, Crows, Jackdaws, Wood Pigeons and Sea Gulls; a small group of Goldfinches by Redland Green; Cormorants and Mallard, flying and on the river; a brief glimpse of a Buzzard as it disappeared east over the Downs up over the Gully; Thrushes, Blackbirds, a few Sparrows and other "Small Brown Birds" flying to fast or too far off to recognise

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.