Global Patchwork

Check out Richard Gregsons brilliant Green Birding site.

Here, Richard encourages birders to approach their hobby in a more ecologically sustainable manner, and shows that there are many advantages to birding with a reduced carbon footprint. I could go on about it all here but there is a lot at Green Birding so instead, I'll thoroughly recommend you go and have a look yourself!

Richard has decided to take on the PWC format and make it applicable to North American birders by adapting the scoring system (using ABA codes) and slightly modifying the patch size rules - but essentially, the PWC foramt is going global! There's no reason at all why this can't be adopted in other countries too - all you need is a means of dividing species up into different rarity (and therefore points) levels.

We wish Richard very good luck with promoting this on the other side of the pond, and hope that it becomes an annual fixture over there (as we hope it does over here, too!) Hopefully Richard will be along in the future to tell us how things are developing!

Ireland - it would be Foley to write off the rest just yet...........

Sorry for another bad pun but again I'll blame Mark for this one. Owen has a healthy points lead over Niall in 2nd who in turn is closely followed by Eamonn. These scores may be outdated as I pinched soem from the wonderful blog http://patchbirdingireland.blogspot.ie/ so check there for the very latest. The comparative league see's Paul M pip Neal at Rathlin to the top spot by 1%, meanwhile patch challenge old timer Colin at Galley props up the table and points leader Owen finds himself 2nd bottom!

Ireland
Position	Name	Patch	Species	Points	%
1	Owen Foley	Ballycotton	120	159	49.6
2	Niall T. Keogh	Kilcoole/Newcastle/Blackditch ECNR	113	140	71.61125
3	Eamonn O Donnell	Ninch/Laytown	112	138	N/A
4	Dave Suddaby	Blacksod	96	130	60.18519
5	Tom M	Kilmore Quay	101	127	54.2735
6	Keith Bennett	Ballyquintin	99	126	N/A
7	Neal W	Rathlin Island	93	115	90.55118
8	Paul Walsh	Brownstown Head	92	114	78.08219
9	Michael O'Donnell	Kilmichael/Kilpatrick/Kilgorman	91	108	N/A
10	Colin Barton	Galley Head	74	93	44.71154
11	Jason Starbuck	Clea Lough/Toye/Shrigley	83	90	N/A
12	Kilian K	Tralee	74	84	68.29268
13	Alan Lauder	Wicklow Head to Broad Lough	66	75	N/A
14	Stephen McAvoy	South Dublin Coast	63	74	74.74747
15	Chris Murphy	Killough, incl. St Johns Pt	52	56	N/A
16	Paul Moore	IW 87 Midleton	66	76	91.56627
17	Declan Murphy	Wicklow Woodlands and Uplands	51	52	N/A
18	Richard Hunter	Lough Beg	47	49	N/A
19	Alan Lauder	Carrick Mountain	38	40	72.72727
20	David McCormick	Millisle	14	16	N/A
Ireland
Position	Name	Patch	Species	Points	%
1	Paul Moore	IW 87 Midleton	66	76	91.56627
2	Neal W	Rathlin Island	93	115	90.55118
3	Paul Walsh	Brownstown Head	92	114	78.08219
4	Stephen McAvoy	South Dublin Coast	63	74	74.74747
5	Alan Lauder	Carrick Mountain	38	40	72.72727
6	Niall T. Keogh	Kilcoole/Newcastle/Blackditch ECNR	113	140	71.61125
7	Kilian K	Tralee	74	84	68.29268
8	Dave Suddaby	Blacksod	96	130	60.18519
9	Tom M	Kilmore Quay	101	127	54.2735
10	Owen Foley	Ballycotton	120	159	49.6
11	Colin Barton	Galley Head	74	93	44.71154

Wales - South vs West vs North

The south coast proudly boasts the highest points total, Mathew pipping Ben at Bardsey by 2 points. Henry makes up the top three on the north coast, only 9 pts from the top.

Henry holds a large lead in the comparative table, 122% already is an impressive score. Below him it is very close with Marc (99%) & Graham (98%) about 0.2% between them in 2nd and 3rd.

Wales
Position	Name	Patch	Species	Points	%
1	Mathew Meehan	Newport Wetlands	119	142	N/A
2	Ben Porter	Bardsey Island	110	140	51.47059
3	Henry Cook	Conwy RSPB	119	133	122.0183
4	Ken Croft	Soldier's Point	108	128	N/A
5	Marc Hughes	Great Orme	97	123	99.19355
6	Julian Hughes	RSPB Conwy	105	114	N/A
7	Henry Cook	Little Orme	92	113	94.16667
8	Graham Powell	Ogmore to Southerndown	79	91	98.91304
9	Steve Stansfield	Bardsey Island	68	80	29.41176
10	Adam Tilt	Cefn Drum and Bryn-bach-Common	52	54	79.41176
11	Alison C	LlanfairTalhaearn	38	40	N/A
12	Paul Derbyshire	Penmaenmawr/llanfairfechan	0	0	N/A
Wales
Position	Name	Patch	Species	Points	%
1	Henry Cook	Conwy RSPB	119	133	122.0183
2	Marc Hughes	Great Orme	97	123	99.19355
3	Graham Powell	Ogmore to Southerndown	79	91	98.91304
4	Henry Cook	Little Orme	92	113	94.16667
5	Adam Tilt	Cefn Drum and Bryn-bach-Common	52	54	79.41176
6	Ben Porter	Bardsey Island	110	140	51.47059
7	Steve Stansfield	Bardsey Island	68	80	29.41176

The South Coast - Comparatively Close part 3

Andy J has a massive points lead, 41 pts, with Ian, in 2nd, also holding a comfortable 25 pt lead over Adam in 3rd. Mark L at our most southerly patch is currently last although 74 points is respectable as the patch is considerably smaller than 3km squares!

Andy J is also top of the comparative table, although his lead is somewhat less with Ian less than 0.2% behind him and with Chris in 3rd only 3% behind it is yet another really close mini league.

South Coast
Position	Name	Patch	Species	Points	%
1	Andy Johnson	Sandy Point	142	192	74.56311
2	Ian Roberts	Samphire Hoe	115	151	74.38424
3	Adam Faiers	Sandwich Bay	108	126	N/A
4	Joost Brandsma	Hythe	101	116	N/A
5	Cameron Bespolka	St.Catherines hill, winchester	104	112	N/A
6	Liam Curson	Cuckmere Haven and Splash Point	85	100	62.89308
7	Chris Powell	Chartham	90	98	71.01449
8	Mark Lawlor	Pulias Headland	66	74	56.92308
9	Andy Appleton	Haysden	0	0	N/A
10	Ashley Howe	Needs Ore NR	0	0	N/A
11	Barry H	Foreness point	0	0	N/A
12	Dave Boddington	Sheepcote valley to Brighton marina	0	0	N/A
13	Jacob Everitt	Arlington Reservoir	0	0	N/A
14	Jim waterman	Hamble Point	0	0	N/A
15	Michael Booker	Black Ditch/Poling	0	0	N/A
16	Tony Beckett		0	0	N/A
17	Craig Sammels	Pegwell Bay	0	0	N/A
South Coast
Position	Name	Patch	Species	Points	%
1	Andy Johnson	Sandy Point	142	192	74.56311
2	Ian Roberts	Samphire Hoe	115	151	74.38424
3	Chris Powell	Chartham	90	98	71.01449
4	Liam Curson	Cuckmere Haven and Splash Point	85	100	62.89308
5	Mark Lawlor	Pulias Headland	66	74	56.92308