Away Patches – Autumn 2014

I know that many of us like to get away for a few days/ weeks during the autumn and that we return to the same spot each year, a sort of autumn ‘away’ patch. Mine is Voe on the mainland of Shetland. For me it is ideal, lots of cover, large enough area to cover on foot in a day, a baker, a pub and of course a few birds to see. I got chatting with a friend on a survey recently chiding him for not entering PWC when he used the usual excuses of too busy, away a lot etc when he suggested a great idea. "Why don’t you have an autumn mini league for peoples away patches?" Now, his ‘away’ patch is Foula so I can see why he is keen but it got me thinking that this could be a bit of fun.

Lower Voe

Upper Voe

I think that the rules should be relaxed slightly as well, perhaps the size of patch should be 5km squares or you can only walk your patch, no driving to it etc  (which will be fine for Spurn, Fair Isle, Foula, Voe)? The main rule change will be that only birds found will count, thus avoiding a scenario where someone on Fair Isle cleans up by twitching all the rares.

Let us know via the comments here, twitter, facebook etc if you are interested or have ideas for rules etc, whether you go to Spurn, Scillies, Fair Isle, North Ron, Cape clear, Spurn, Blakeney etc.

12 points!