Patchwork Challenge

This time from Andy Johnson at Start Point, check it out HERE These are fantastic and fascinating. Please, keep the coming!

I'm sure that many of us have taken part in some sort of 24 hour bird race before, whether entering the official national one, or having a fun local challenge with friends, or in my case in a mini van with 10+ other students charging around the countryside of Aberdeenshire. I loved taking part and Aberdeenshire was great, mountains, woodlands, east coast so we racked up 130+ species most years. But since I moved away from Aberdeen I haven't taken part in one, not being able to drive is probably a big issue as is not knowing the counties I've lived in since very well. So what better way to get back into some crazy 24 hour birding than a Patchwork Challenge Bird Race! Who can see the most species in a 24 hour period on their patch, no need for driving (for most of us) and we should all know our patches pretty well by now. The rules are simple, see/hear as many species as you can on your patch 00:00h and 23:59h on any day between the 10th May and 20th May. Over this period...

The London mini-league is an active league, 17 out of the 19 patches have now posted a score and 11 out of the 12 comarative scores are in. Paul leads the points table with the first 100+ score for London, with Marek not too far behind. Just below the leaders its really close with 8 points seperating the next 6 patches! Graham H is way out in front of the comparative scores and is the overall leader in the whole of teh country with 112%, but Jason and Paul have also posted impressive score, both breaking the 80% barrier already. London area Position Name Patch Species Points % 1 Paul Whiteman Leyton Marsh-Walthamstow Res. 97 109 80.14706 2 Marek Walford Dinton Pastures CP 89 97 75.1938 3= Roger Hicks Henlow Grange 81 84 N/A 3= Jono Lethbridge Wanstead 79 84 65.625 5 Fraser Cottington Dinton Pastures CP 77 81 50.9434 6 Michael Terr...

I must admit Ireland has got me confused a wee bit, several scores were posted but I think the most thorough look at what is happening across the burn can be found here http://patchbirdingireland.blogspot.ie/ . I will try and get some complete tables up for Ireland next month but for now I've managed to completely confuse myself!

The midlands league may not have the high scores of some of the other coastal sites but Nick and Dave are approaching (and probably passed) 100 points, a great effort considering the conditions in March! Alan heads up the comparative table with and impressive 84% but with all four patches over 65% it looks like it could be a close league come Decemeber. I'm looking forward to see how spring has treated the midlands come the end of April. Midlands Position Name Patch Species Points % 1 Nick Crouch Collingham and Besthorpe 88 93 N/A 2 Dave Roberts Marston sewage t w 84 91 78.44828 3 Richard Harbird Morton Bagot 79 81 69.23077 4 Matt Griffiths Earlswood 74 75 N/A 5 Nick Self Morgan's Hill, North Wessex Downs 60 62 N/A 6 Mark Skevington Soar Valley South, Enderby 53 54 65.06024 7 Alan Kydd Froggat a...

Kev at Dawlish still leads the way in the SW and is also a contender in the whole of the UK points totals but keen patchers Gavin and Marcus aren't too far off the early pace setting. The comparative league has one man taking up two of the top 3 spots, Dan C down in Cornwall. Roger M has managed to split Dans patches in the top 3, well done guys, some mighty impressive points totals and %'s! South West Position Name Patch Species Points % 1 Kev Rylands Dawlish Warren 117 151 62.78586 2 Gavin Haig Seaton 116 139 N/A 3 Marcus Lawson Swineham GPs 110 131   4 Shaun Robson Lytchett Bay 104 121   5 Paul Bowerman Severn Beach 99 116 52.25225 6 Dan Chaney Falmouth 92 112 87.5 7 Paul Bowyer Sand point 96 111   8= Peter Hazelwood Oldbury Power Station 91 99 62.65823 8= ...