South West mini leagues

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How to get the most out of your scoring spreadsheet

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Follow this link to get your hands on the Patchwork Challenge official scoring spreadsheet! If that doesn't work there are details at the bottom of this post.... You'll need your own version of this so when it is open, click file and select download...and save it somewhere! The spreadsheet is dead easy to use. When January 1st comes, all you need to do is enter the birds you see in the 'Spp" column, as and when you see them, along with the date. The spreadsheet will add the values for each species. When you are lucky enough to find a species worth three points or more, put an 'F' in the find column. The magical spreadsheet will then calculate the number of species you've seen and the number of points you've accumulated. Beware that the spreadsheet gets a little lippy when you enter something incorrectly spelled...there is a 'list' tab where you can look things up if needs be....but dont alter anything on the list page as you will mess up ...
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What is the 'patchwork' challenge?

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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 ...
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American Buff-bellied Pipit, Clifford Hill, October 2026

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Tyler Atkinson has kindly provided a lovely article on the discovery of the first American passerine for Northamptonshire, as well as a little background about his patch, Clifford Hill Gravel Pits. Please enjoy and join me in thanking Tyler for providing this fantastic write-up. American Buff-bellied Pipit My local birding patch, the Northampton Washlands, also known as Clifford Hill Gravel Pits, is a critically important inland wetland ecosystem located on the southeastern outskirts of Northampton. Serving as the starting point of the broader Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site. Its defining feature is the Main Barrage Lake, a reservoir designed to hold water during periods of heavy flow and mitigate regional flooding. This is a patch I have been birding regularly for the past 3-4 years and visited several times growing up nearby. The patch is sitting just along the River Nene, surrounded by farmland and an industrial estate. The site is a grea...
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