Patchwork Challenge

In typical fashion, Chris Pendlebury once again resides at the top of the Inland Scotland Comparative league. He's moved his Blairdrummond patch into 1st place, thereby knocking his Dunblane patch into second position. Finishing the month with a strong 91.765% for Blairdrummond, surely that 100% milestone can only be just around the corner. Great work Chris! Further down the table, Andy Cage at Kilmany manages to knock Graeme Garner and his Cambus patch from third place. Andy managed a further 11 species and finished on 77% for April. Moving on to the points league, no change at the top of the table with David Douglas and his Loch Leven patch still holding off the competitors despite not adding any further species for the month. In second place, Alastair Forsyth remains as he plays catch up adding another ten species and finishing on 95 points. With only three points separating the top two, David may not be holding onto 1st place in May! No bonus points thi...

We haven't kept up to date with Sean since his February posting so here is the early part of Sean's spring in three parts. February April part 1 April part 2

Chris Rodger takes over in the lead of the Coastal Scotland comparative minileague as he crests 90% at Musselburgh. His highlight this month was a spring Redstart. Stephen Welch drops into second after a quiet month as he spent half of it in China. Mike Hodgkin of Aberlady Bay moves up into third just 0.3% ahead of Jim Dickson. Colin Davison, who patches Scoughall in Lothian, is top of the Coastal Scotland points league after finding a very fine spring Olive-backed Pipit. Chris Rodger is in second place just three points behind Colin while Mike Hodgkin holds the third step on the rostrum in both minileagues. Olive-backed Pipit - Colin Davison There were more good birds found by patchers north of the border as Geoff Morgan found a Caspian Gull at Barns Ness just a day after it was seen in Aberdeenshire. Caspian Gull remains a mega in Scotland and this birds distinctive primaries meant that it was picked up in Northern England as well. Mark Lewis adds Shore Lark at Girdle ...

After lying second by a sliver last month, Ash Baines takes over at the top in the comparative table for the Coastal North Minileague after reaching 82%. He adds Grasshopper Warbler, Redstart and Short-eared Owl this time out. Pete Marsh is in second place, just 1% behind after adding Slavonian Grebe at Heysham. John Chapman at Whitburn is in third place on 70% and a sliver ahead of last months leader, Stewart Sexton, as John adds a brace of Cranes to net 6 points. Mick Turton adds thirty points in April to reinforce his lead over Ross Ahmed at South Tyneside. Mich added Crane but his most satisfying tick was Water Rail after missing out in 2015. Ross' endeavours this month saw Hooded Crow, Avocet and Willow Tit fall to his points cannon. Nick Addey overhauls Jonathan Farooqi to move into the top three on 174 points although fellow Long Nabber, Chris Bradshaw found the Short-toed Lark that graced Scarborough last month and Nick makes do with three points. Mealy Redpoll - S...

Peter Hazelwood moves up from 4th place to top the Estuarine Minileague on 88.75% with Ring Ouzel this months highlight. Gordon Hodson is less than 1% behind in second place moving up from 6th. Martin Elcoate rounds off the top three maintaining his position for a second month after adding Bonaparte's Gull which went on a wander from its Dawlish Warren base. Bonaparte's Gull, Topsham - Martin Elcoate In the points league Dave Craven stays top with a 19 point lead at Hale and Pickering pastures. Glossy Ibis and Channel Wagtail were the highlights amongst several decent migrants. Paul Sullivan is in second spot leading the Lincs Wash Reserves contingent on 180 points after finding a Red-rumped Swallow. Daniel Newton is on 177 points after adding Ring Ouzel and Wood Sandpiper at the same location. Good finds outside the top three included a Spoonbill at Hesketh Out Marsh for Stuart Derbyshire. There was a Little Ringed Plover patch tick for Dave Jones at Lytchett Bay wh...

April sees many Inland North patches beginning to spring into life. Lots of cracking birds recorded and a few bonus points for those lucky enough to find them. Andy Bunting locked onto a Siberian Chiffchaff at WWT Martin Mere, while Green-winged Teal graced Duncan Bye's Wheldrake Ings patch. Elsewhere, Findlay Wilde spotted Ruddy Shelduck at Windsford Flash but saving the best for last - George Dunbar was given a slight shock when White-crowned Sparrow causally dropped by at Woolston Eyes. White-crowned Sparrow (Credit: David Bowman) In addition to regular migrants, other highlights for the month included Garganey for Bill Aspin at Brockholes Nature Reserve LWT and Adrian & John at Northwich Woodlands. An unexpected patch first Little Ringed Plover for Steven Ward at Hawes. Little Ringed Plover also dropped in for Keith Dickinson at Adel Dams/Breary Marsh/Eccup Reservoir providing him with a patch tick and at Norton Common for David Franklin (another patch tick!). Gre...

The top three remain static in the April Under 25 comparative minileague with Amy Robjohns heading things up thanks to four patch ticks in the month (Stone Curlew, Great White Egret, Dartford Warbler and Arctic Skua) taking her beyond the 100% mark. Rhys Chivers has pushed her all the way and finishes this time on 91% adding Wood Warbler, Avocet and Yellow-legged Gull. Ben Moyes completes the top three on 86% with a host of regular migrants including Cuckoo and Yellow Wagtail. It is a different story in the points league with Joe Stockwell taking over at the top on 187 points with Amy just a brace behind. Joe added Balearic Shearwater and Pied Flycatcher to hold top spot and we know both have bagged bonus points in May so who knows how this will end? Jonathan Farooqi loses his share of second but remains on the podium this month at Druridge Bay although he remains a single point ahead of Erik Ansell. Black Redstart - Will Scott Outside the podium there were a number of good ...

Noel Keogh is on the fast track to reaching his 100% target at South Dublin Bay with a suite of common migrants boosting him up to 96.3% and remaining in first place on the Coastal Ireland Comparative Minileague table. Eamonn O'Donnell moves into second ahead of Eleanor Keane (second place holder in March) as he clocked up 12 migrants species in April at Ninch/Laytown including Whimbrel and Little Tern. Eleanor keep the momentum going in third place at Killiney Hill to Dun Laoghaire coast with a singing Whitethroat, a scarce species for the site.  Richard Donaghey is climbing the ranks, moving up from eighth to fifth on 81.8% at the Bann Estuary. A breeding plumage Spotted Redshank was his find of the month. No less than three patch ticks for Dave Suddaby in first place on the Coastal Ireland Points Minileague table. A splendid breeding plumaged Red-necked Grebe was backed up by Tufted Duck and Carrion Crow. All new and all welcome as they keep him one point ahead o...

Four new patch ticks for Amy Robjohns saw her pass the comparative score for Titchfield Haven by a single point. As we know Amy has had a very successful May this will only grow... Her ticks this time out were Great White Egret, Stone Curlew, Dartford Warbler and Arctic Skua. Dick Best moves into second place in the comparative table after a profitable April. Steph Brown hangs onto third place with returning Chiffchaffs her highlight. Despite adding 40 points in April, Amy Robjohns loses top spot to Joe Stockwell in Weymouth. He added Balearic Shearwater plus Pied Flycatcher and Cuckoo with the latter two new for the patch. Like Amy we know he has added bonus points in May so perhaps there will be a fight on for top spot next month. Sean Foote on North Portland is in third place just 2 points behind Amy. As well as finding a Hoopoe he also added Hawfinch and Iceland Gull. Hoopoe at Portland - Sean Foote Away from the podium places there has been plenty going on with spri...

April was a fairly decent month for many of the Island patchers. A couple of true #patchgold entries were submitted (Great Tit for John Bowler at Balephuil and Canada Goose for IanT at Askernish) along with a few other patch firsts in the form of Iceland Gull for Mark Newell on the Isle of May and Great White Egret for IanT at Askernish. Probably the highlight of the month for Steve Minton at Scatness was a pod of Orca cruising by. Although not birds, they're freaking awesome and I'm sure many of us would love them as a patch tick! Credit: Steve Minton After 10 weeks away in Spain, IanT returned in style and topped pole position of the Islands Comparative Minileague. On his return to patch, he added twenty-seven species, including two patch firsts (Great White Egret and Canada Goose) leaving him on 98 species and 78.8% for April. All but one patcher have at least broken the 50% milestone and are steadily adding species, and with only a few percent separating the ...

Des Higgins rockets into first place in the Inland Ireland Comparative Minileague with a mighty score of 94.7% from University College Dublin by the end of April after adding some of the expected spring migrants along with a one day stay Wheatear being the highlight. Not a bad species to see on this suburban Dublin campus! Des is catching up with his comparative score nicely now, which may have seemed a daunting task after the bonus points gleaned from a Ring-necked Duck in 2015. With several common but crucial #patchgold species added so far in 2016 it seems he is on track to break 100%. Niall Keogh was away for most of the month so gets bumped down to second as a result while Darragh Sinnott moves into third place with 83% at Holy Cross and Carriganore. Stock Dove and Woodcock were the latest additions to Andrew Power’s patch list at Kildavin taking him to 72 species and 79 points, remaining at the top of the Points Minileague. Brian Burke and Derek Charles are neck and nec...

Spring was kind to the contestants of the Wales Minileague where we see good ground being made on the comparative table. No less than seven patch birders are now above 80%. Alastair Flannagan still leads the charge from his inland Swansea Vale to Fendrod Lake patch with 85.7% where Glaucous Gull was a patch tick plus his third patch record of Redstart provided added value. Close behind in second and third with 84% are Henry Cook and Julian Hughes, both patching from Conwy RSPB and both connecting with a male Blue-headed Wagtail and a colour-ringed Twite there. Henry edges just ahead on the table with a Spotted Redshank.  colour-ringed Twite at Conwy RSPB © Henry Cook Peter Howlett jumped from eight to fourth at his Green minileague Cardiff Bay patch, finishing on 83% by the months end thanks to 19 species added including Iceland Gull, Short-eared Owl, Yellow Wagtail and Whinchat.  The same names crop up in the Wales Points Minileague during April. Richard Dob...

Andy Sims has climbed to the top of the comparative tree for the Midlands minileague from his March position of third. This is testament to the time and effort Andy puts into his patch and a little bird tells me he may be across the 100% mark now... In April Andy had his first Little Ringed Plover in 33 years for the site. Rhys Chivers adds 17% to move into second place. He added Wood Warbler, Avocet and Yellow-legged Gull this time out. On the third step of the podium is Tom Shields at Holme Pierrepoint who moves up from ninth position. He adds his first site Grasshopper Warbler plus Avocet and Whimbrel. Erik's lead at Rutland is cut to three points as Rod Baker makes up ground. Erik added Short-eared Owl, Redstart and Red-breasted Merganser. John Hopper remains in contact on 156 points at Hoveringham as he adds a first site record of Cetti's Warbler plus Brent Goose and Osprey. There were no bonus points this month but plenty of highlights were shared about. Hen Harr...

April was obviously a good month for the Norwich area as both Adam Nicholls and James Emerson break the 100% and take the top 2 spots, Adam helped by several patch ticks including Common Sandpiper and Grasshopper Warbler. Nick Moran remains in third place after another good month with 2nd patch records of Iceland Gull and Sandwich Tern, both excellent inland records. The other big mover of the month was Jim Bradley as he finally picked up a Crane at Surlingham. The Nunneries Sandwich Tern! The points league also has a new leader as Ben Lewis, thanks to a Firecrest (2nd patch record!), Green-winged Teal and many migrants, leaps from 4th to first. Luke Wake drops to second place despite adding 28 points during the month. Jamie Wells and his big hitting Paxton Pits patch moves into the top three as April gave him an unexpected seabird, an Arctic Skua. Many patchers managed to find some patch ticks throughout the month, Rob Pople managed to find a Cetti's Warbler at Milton ...

Rob Hall continues his dominance in the comparative league adding 10% to his end of March score. Craig Fulcher had an excellent month finding Crane and Great White Egret for some much needed bonus points while James Brown makes the top 3 thanks to finding Cranes as well as some ggod patch birds turning up such as Lesser Yellowlegs and Wood Warbler. Gary White also managed some bonus points with a cracking Great Grey Shrike, a very nice spring find! Great Grey Shrike found by Gary White James Brown has increased his lead at the top after another superb month while Craig Fulcher leap frogs Paul Eele into 2nd. Not much movement in terms of league placings but some cracking birds seen throughout the month as several patches catch up with an 'easy' 6 pointer Crane. Irene Boston lucked in on a short staying Little Ringed Plover in Brancaster and a Nightingale at Thornham, both patch ticks. Tommy Corcoran added several new species the highlight perhaps his Hawfinch, an...

 Stephanie Brown at Twyford and Richard Scantlebury at Fishponds in Bristol both breach 100%. Richard's highlights include Reed Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher whilst Stephanie adds Lesser Redpoll and Marsh Tit. Marek Walford is in third place. With Lee Evans deciding to drop out of the competition the Inland South points league has a familiar feel with newly crowned Forest Optics Best Find 2016 winner Tom Raven now leading the line. Ian Bennell is in second place after a productive month which included patch ticks of Ring Ouzel and Short-eared Owl and the top three is rounded off by Nick Croft at Wanstead who added Osprey, Redstart and Ring Ouzel in the 'burbs of London. Tree Pipit - Chris Bessant Best find this month was undoubtedly by Rob Hill who turned up a Gannet at Linford NR. There were two Black-winged Stilts at for him at Manor Farm which Ashley Beolens also saw although it wasn't a find for either. Chris Bessant had a Tree Pipit at Maple Cross and ot...