Hello from the Patchwork Challenge team! We sincerely hope you have enjoyed taking part in the fourth month of #PWC2026! If you have yet to sign up and are interested in joining this year's competition, then please do by following this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iZORva8WZXRiaCZcQUE9CNmog3k0EhnhW-GflGqNYoA/edit?usp=sharing April proved to be a fantastic month for many, with a large passage of spring Waders, Terns and Little Gulls amongst others occurring in the inland England mini-leagues while south coast patches also got their fair share. A large arrival of Wood Sandpipers across Britain was definitely noted on patches up and down the leagues. There was plenty of rarer birds to be found during March with 12 pointers flying about in every direction with the discoveries of Bonaparte's Gull in Lincolnshire, Ross's Gull and Great Reed Warbler in Norfolk, Pallid Harrier in Caithness and Western Subalpine Warbler in Argyll amongst a whole host of other g...
The birding fraternity has seen a shift in attitudes recently, with many birders turning their attention from twitching towards rarity finding. As a result, there also seems to have been an upturn in the profile watching a local patch. The advantages of watching a local patch are obvious. Low fuel costs and travel time aside, great pleasure can be derived from getting to learn a place inside out, observing how the seasons change, and getting value from common species that otherwise wouldn’t get a second glance. Throw in the potential for the odd rare bird or scarcity and to me, you have a really exciting, involving way to enjoy your birding. So what could enhance the patch watchers enjoyment a little? Well, perhaps adding an element of competition would do the trick. We’re a competitive bunch, us birders, both with our peers and ‘internally’ as well. We like a gloat, we like to add things to lists, and we like to know what the numbers are. So why not see if we can add a ...
We've had a few folk asking about bonus points for rare subspecies - and quite frankly, we think it's a good idea! Scoring for them is a bit complex though, and we reckon the only way to do it is on a case by case basis. So, here's a scenario... If you see a chiffchaff, you get one point. If you see a siberian chiffchaff, you get 2 points, as well as the point for the normal chiffchaff. If you find a siberian chiffchaff, you can double your 2 points to 4 - and still have the 1 point for the original chiffchaff. Simple. So, below is a list of the acceptable subspecies, the number of points they're worth, and the find bonus. Enjoy - and let us know which ones we've missed out.... Any 'genuine vagrant' canada goose - 3 points, double find bonus. black brant - 3 points, double find bonus. Borealis eider - 3 points, double find bonus. And it needs to have more than sails! Scopoli's shearwater - 5 points, triple find bonus. Yelkouan shearwater...
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