Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, March 24, 25, 27

By Tuesday it was much colder, so I was back into long trousers again! I spotted about a dozen Redshank on the mud just down river of Sea Walls, but little else. On Wednesday I decided to walk the periphery of the Downs, around from Cote Green, along the edge of the Gorge, then back via Zoo Bank and finally the Granny Down. You see much more than from a bicycle. Coming through the edge of a grove on the side of Walcombe Slade a Peregrine appeared high above me, circled for a while, then flew rapidly to the North. Coming through the bushes by the Dumps a bright green bird, gone in a flash - a Green finch! Just before that I saw a group of six Magpies on the grass towards Ladies Mile, these are not good news for the Green finch if it is nesting.
The Ravens are nesting; sometimes the female (I assume) is hunkered down in the nest and invisible, other times a small piece of black is visible, now and then the bird comes onto the edge of the nest.
On Friday I decided to be lazy, took the car and parked by Sea Walls, then walked along through the top of the Gully, over to Peregrine Watch, then down the new Zig Zag to the Portway, and crossing, along to come back up via the Gully. I watched a Peregrine, first from the top on the path beside Fairyland. The bird circled quite low and for nearly a quarter hour, over the trees opposite on the side of Leigh Woods, going into the quarry beside the Ravens nest, then coming back towards the Gully, sometimes flying fast, mostly gliding in the wind. Hunting? Possibly. From the Portaway I stopped and looked up at the Peregrine nest, there was no activity for a full half hour, but then I saw a Peregrine circling about 500 feet up, it circled higher and higher, eventally dropping rapidly to the Gully. A kill? Just after that I saw a Sparrowhawk flying above the Gully. A very pregnant deer was sitting under a birch tree in the sunshine in the quarry opposite Sea Walls. My last Peregine, a large bird, appeared quickly by Sea Walls and disappeared towards Black Rock cliff.

Monday March 23rd

An early morning ride (and the first one this year in short trousers), so I was up by the Peregrine Watch around 8am. The Great Bristol Public were out in force on Sunday, the evidence was left all over the Downs, with some particularly large piles in the cleared scrub beside Circular Road. The Downs Committee also seem keen on removing even more trees, I counted three with stump bases all looking fine. At this rate, and without replacements, the Downs will be treeless in ten years - I joke not!
There was some mud showing, and to the west of Sea Walls I counted ten Redshank, in one place a small flock of half a dozen birds were all busy pecking at the mud. At the Peregrine Watch the Jackdaw flock was flying around in a noisy group, I though that a raptor might have set them off, but could not see one.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, March 9th-13th

Back to more regular rides! The tide precessed during the week, going out, but getting higher with less mud as the week progressed. Today Friday, about a dozen Redshank were on small patches of mud on the opposite bank; also with the Mute Swan sitting on the riverside. I do hope that he/she is well? A small black head is just visible on the Raven's nest, so she must be sitting. On Monday the male was displaying - flapping around then folding his wings and dropping down. Earlier in the week there were large numbers of gulls on the mud, Lesser Black Backed, young and old, Herring Gulls, Black Headed Gulls, Common Gulls.
I see the Peregrines in the oak trees opposite, sometimes one, sometimes two. I heard that there were two other adult birds flying on Monday, whilst two were perched. On Tuesday I had a glimpse from above Black Rocks of a Peregrine land below the nest on the cliff, then fly around. It is rare to be able to see them from the Sea Walls region. When the Peregrines are flying the Jackdaws become more agitated ....

Thursday 5th March

The cold has returned so I was on foot at the Peregrine Watch. A large flock of Sea Gulls was circling above the river, looking like pieces of paper in a wind. Walking back along the Gorge rim I spotted a Redshank just below the Donkey Slide, then, just before Circular Road stopped to look for a Robin singing. He was high up in some ivy on an ash tree, without his red breast he would have been impossible to find. Coming back behind Zoo Bank there were three kinds of Tit - Blue, Coal and Great, all in pairs, and flitting around the top of the hawthorn bushes. Add Blackbirds and Thrushes, Magpies, Crows, Pigeons and Jackdaws.

Sunday, Tuesday, 1st, 3rd March

Sunday afternoon brought out the crowds - and banished most birds from the downland, though a flock of Jackdaws had found a tasty patch to probe beside Ladies Mile. On the river I saw the lone Mute Swan on both days, I wonder if he/she is either looking for, or has lost a mate. There are a number of Swans on the docks water. There were a few Redshank on the mud on Sunday, and a Cormorant digesting its dinner. Tuesday I watched a flock of Jackdaws wheeling above the Gorge, the Raven pair were flying around, sometimes in the midst of the Jackdaws. A lone Peregrine left the Gully, flew over the river, and then up towards the Suspension Bridge.

Wednesday 25th February

The Peregrine was sitting side on to me showing folded gray wings and a white front, every now and then she scratched herself, a little like one of my cats. Like all birds she probably suffers from pests (mites?) in her feathers, in Baker's iconic book on the Peregrine he describes how the birds love to bathe every day. I've never seen this, and the Avon looks very mucky! At Sea Walls a few Redshank were probing the mud, and a Swan was sitting at the edge preening his feathers. On the Downs, flocks of Starling and a lot of Rooks and Jackdaws; the latter flock were wheeling around in a large group, but broke up to move off in different directions. It almost looked like a command from a leader.

Friday 20th February

I should have guessed when I saw two Oyster Catchers on the mud just below Black Rocks Quarry that this would be an interesting morning! When I reached the Peregrine Watch I noticed, even before I was off my bike, two Peregrines in the oak opposite. They moved a little during my stay, but were otherwise stationary, the male, smaller and facing - a white light in the tree - the female - larger and showing us her gray back. Then the Sparrowhawk: passing so fast within a few meters of me that I wondered what it was, it raised the Jackdaws from their tree, and disappeared, all in a fraction of a second. Then a voice from behind me said "Did you see the Sparrowhawk?". Next a couple of Redshank flew low over the river. The numerous Gulls rose as one from the river edge, wheeled and landed on the mud again. What caused that? We then saw the two Ravens return to inspect their nest up on the cliff, they did not stop long, but will be back. The finale was to see a Cormorant fly low over the water and down river, but three other birds started to fish just below us. No sign of a catch though.