Pulteney Weir to Prior Park City Stroll, 9 March 2025

Above: Peregrine © Mike Williams

Leader: Lucy Starling

Eight members and three guests joined me for a pleasant stroll from the riverside path by Pulteney Weir as far as the lower side gate of National Trust Prior Park Landscape Gardens. The weather was perfect, calm, with some warm early Spring sunshine.

As expected, the Peregrines were on the spire of St John’s church, the female on view with the male calling out of our sight on the other side. Hopefully, the pair will breed; if so, it will be the 19th consecutive year of breeding Peregrines in Bath. Other birds seen along the River Avon were Mute Swan, a Cormorant and a pair of Mallard. Our next stop was opposite the Honda car sales on Prior Park Road. Three Grey Heron nests appeared to be occupied in the tall trees. Meandering along Church Street and Church Lane, there was some bird song, Robins, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch and a distant Chiffchaff. As the air warmed, our first Buzzard of the day took to circling flight.

Along the stone path leading to the side gate at NT Prior Park, we found a few Common Toad, including a mating pair. From here, over the stone wall, we had a clear view of the Palladian Bridge and most of the lower lakes where we watched a pair of Little Grebe (often emitting their delightful trilling call) and a pair of Moorhen. Sadly, there were no Ravens to be seen or heard around and I do hope a pair or two are again nesting in the area.

We walked back to Prior Park Road via The Dell footpath and over to the Bath Abbey Cemetery. The cemetery was festooned with Primroses. A Goldcrest sang in one of the many Yew trees and a distant Green Woodpecker made its way” yaffle” call . A pair of Buzzards circled above us. We stopped at the Heronry again and one heron was busy adjusting sticks in its nest. The meeting ended at Prior Park Garden Centre with some members popping up to the cafe to collect a few of the Bath Urban Treescape trail leaflets and popping for a coffee.

Lucy Starling