Eighteen keen birders with their various optical paraphernalia met at Snuff Mills car park. It was a gloomy but dry and mild day. We carefully ascended the semi-treacherous path above the river Frome valley, passing the UWE Glenside Campus on the site of the old Glenside Mental Hospital. We quietly passed this, unspotted, towards the Oldbury Estate. Most birds were either hunkered down out of sight or only seen as silhouettes high in the trees. More were heard than seen, and the high pitched sounds of Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests were prominent. There were also several Grey Squirrel dreys and a leucistic Crow among other corvids and various gulls. We passed and admired the work of the College Road allotmenteers before stopping for coffee by a well sculpted tree stump in an old arboretum of specimen trees on the Oldbury estate. We then headed down to Frenchay Bridge to return along the River Frome. Here we passed the weir in spate and enjoyed the beauty of a Kingfisher which repeatedly fished and followed us most of the way back. There was also a Grey Heron, Moorhen and some Mallard. Our final treat was a good view of two busy Treecreepers across the river. A most enjoyable morning. Thanks to Graham and Caron for their leadership and everyone for their company and shared expertise. Bill Alexander