Tuesday 15 January – Bristol City Centre Leaders: Margaret Gorely and Nancy Barrett

37 of us met outside the ‘We The Curious’ science museum in Millennium Square. It was a cold and miserable morning filled with that annoying misty kind of rain. We set off and crossed Pero’s Bridge, spotting Cormorant, Herring and Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Magpie and Mute Swan on the way. Crossing Prince Street Bridge, we made our way along the Harbour railway where, to the gardens on our left, we saw House Sparrow, Great and Blue Tit, Greenfinch and a Robin. More Mallards (hybrids), gulls, and a trio of Mute Swans kept pace with us as we headed for the Albion dockyard and the marina. We stopped for our coffee break at the giant ‘Hand of a River God’ sculpture in Baltic Wharf. In the gardens behind us, somebody spotted a female Blackcap. Flitting around the feeders in the gardens were the usual Great and Blue Tits, a Robin, some Chaffinch and a Coal Tit. Looking west from Ashton Avenue Bridge, we all saw and heard the solitary Redshank that was probing about in the mud below us. Walking on, we saw lots of Redwings, a couple of Robins and a Wren. Then we spotted what was, for me, the bird of the walk, a fabulous Peregrine Falcon looking down on us from the roof of the red brick Create Centre. We all had great views of it and everybody heard its distinctive call. At the very tip of Spike Island were a few small groups of Black-headed Gulls including three birds which were sporting almost summer plumage heads. Back in Hotwells Road the group split up with thirteen brave souls carrying on up Brandon Hill. Here we saw a large flock of ground-feeding Redwings interspersed with a sprinkling of Goldfinches, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and a couple of very tame Dunnocks and a Goldcrest was heard but not seen. In all we saw 31 different species. Thanks to everybody for contributing to this walk with their presence, enthusiasm and knowledge. Special thanks to Margaret and Nancy for leading and thanks to Nick for his counting. Steve Smith