Bristol peregrines
Took a detour on the way home from work tonight onto Bristol downs, to look for the local peregrines. It's only a mile or so from our flat but despite a few attempts the only time we'd previously managed to see one was with the help of Bristol Ornithological Club and their telescopes. We were on our own tonight!
No sign at first, but we were soon joined by either a very scruffy birder or one of the local winos. A brief conversation determined he was both, and after he moved on to occupy a bench, bottle in hand, we had a wonderfully close naked-eye sighting of the juvenile peregrine raised in the gorge this year, very brown and buff still, as he flew by.
After a lot of squinting through my not-exactly-top-of-the-range- binoculars we eventually determined there was an adult peregrine on the opposite cliff. Unfortunately he was perched with his back to us, so it was very tricky to see him, but he occasionally turned his head to allow a brief glimpse of detail.
Funny to think, in a Greater Urban Area of a million people or more, only two were watching these amazing birds barely a mile from the city centre. Also great to know that although one chick didn't make it, at least the surviving one has made it out of the nest and is well on its way to adulthood.
No sign at first, but we were soon joined by either a very scruffy birder or one of the local winos. A brief conversation determined he was both, and after he moved on to occupy a bench, bottle in hand, we had a wonderfully close naked-eye sighting of the juvenile peregrine raised in the gorge this year, very brown and buff still, as he flew by.
After a lot of squinting through my not-exactly-top-of-the-range- binoculars we eventually determined there was an adult peregrine on the opposite cliff. Unfortunately he was perched with his back to us, so it was very tricky to see him, but he occasionally turned his head to allow a brief glimpse of detail.
Funny to think, in a Greater Urban Area of a million people or more, only two were watching these amazing birds barely a mile from the city centre. Also great to know that although one chick didn't make it, at least the surviving one has made it out of the nest and is well on its way to adulthood.
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Comments
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They are wonderfull birds, they often hunt over my work and mostly go unnoticed as they sit on the nearby Finnieston Crane. I've had one in my hand and they are magnicant, this male flew into an office window in Glasgow City Centre and was released at the SECC
Posted 14-07-09 at 08:51 PM by clydebirder
