Patchwork Challenge

Although Adam Nicholls didn't add a point during October he is still out on top with what looks like an unassailable lead. Nick Moran is now his closest challenger thanks to his first Crossbills in 3 years on patch and a Ring Ouzel. James Emerson also added a Ring Ouzel this month, a cracking record for Whitlingham C.P. Ben Moyes probably had the best month out of everyone as his patch in the Gipping Valley played host to a Black-bellied Dipper and Great White Egret. His place in 4th is well and truly up for grabs though with a mere 0.66% seperating him and Jim Bradley in 6th! No changes at the top in the points league as everyone finds it hard to add points late in the year so its looking good for Ben Lewis to finish on top this year, or will Luke or Jamie have a great final winter period? The highlight of month has to be the influx of Yellow-browed Warblers into the inland patches. It must be a bird on all inland patchers radar but it still must be a buzz to see one away f...

The top of the comparative table has a very familiar look as the top three remain the same, all adding 9-11% in October, James Brown in particular having a busy month, finding 2 Dusky Warbler and Great Grey Shrike, seeing another GGS plus Pallas's Warbler. Scott Mayson added some bonus points with Yellow-browed Warbler and Sabine's Gull but his highlight of the month was a Moorhen! Ryan Irvine was the biggest mover this month adding 28% and leaping up to 4th place adding 4 full fat patch ticks, Bearded Tit, Hawfinch, Sabine's Gull and Little Egret. Nigel Lound stays in 7th despite adding 11% with a 3rd ever patch Puffin outshining the Pallas's Warbler and Red-flanked Bluetail on his patch. James Brown's lead at the top of the points league has been cut to a miserly 35 pts as Ryan Irvines great October pushed him up to 2nd place. Nigel Lound stays in the podium positions, leap frogging Justin Zantboer. Justin must be one of the unluckiest PWC competitors as he...

October was a busy month in the Estuarine Minileague with rafts of scarce birds featuring in the reported highlights by patch contestants.  Ian Ballam continues at the top of the comparative league with one of a number of Yellow-browed Warblers reported in the Estuarine league this month, this one at his Lychett Bay patch. Other additions were patch firsts in the form of Golden Plover and Whooper Swan. Paul Freestone is in second place, just over 2% behind Ian. Paul spent some of October on Scilly, so was relieved to find the Franklin's Gull at the Hayle Estuary had decided to hang around for his return! Shaun Robson who also birds Lytchett is in third with plenty of YBW action and a Ring Ouzel, less than annual at the site. In total, ten patches have beaten the 100% mark, great news for them but making #PWC2017 a tougher prospect with a higher comparative to aim at. In the points league, long term leader Dave Craven has finally been displ...

For some, the rarities were flowing in the Coastal Scotland Minileague in October. Geoff Morgan played a blinder, with bonus points bagged for Blyth's Reed Warbler and Great Grey Shrike at Barns Ness. Also on his patch this month were Dusky Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher and a fall of Pallas's Warblers! Despite dipping Olive-Backed Pipit and Radde's Warbler it still made for a sensational few weeks on the patch. Bird of the month however graced Andrew Whitehouse's Girdle Ness patch where he caught up with a stunning Daurian Shrike!  Daurian Shrike at Girdle Ness (c) Andrew Whitehouse Chris Rodger's lead in the comparative minileague with 125.6% looks unassailable with just two months to go. The highlight at his Musselburgh patch was a Snow Bunting, a real sign that winter is on the way. Meanwhile, Mike Hodgkin stole a march on Stephen Welch, putting a bit of distance between second and third with a patch first Shore Lark at Aberlady Bay plus a Tawny ...

All but one patch contestant in the Inland Scotland Minileague are now in the 90% range for the year but none have hit 100% as yet.  Yellow-browed Warbler at Old Nisthouse (c) Alastair Forsyth ( check out his blog ) With two months to go, Chris Pendlebury's first place Blairdrummond patch is just a one pointer away from the ton, but no additions in October continues the frustration. Will it fall? Graeme Garner at Cambus is in second with 95.6% and Chris P's Stirling patch makes up the top three just a fraction of a percent behind. It is tight through, just a single Waxwing could change everything! Alastair has the advantage over David Douglas in the points minileague. Old Nisthouse had a good month with four different Yellow-browed Warblers and Siberian Chiffchaff all earning bonus points. Perhaps best of all though was a patch tick Mistle Thrush while a Siberian Accentor made for a delightful distraction (albeit a 35 min drive away from the patch). No additio...

What a month! October is a superb time to be on the islands and this year they did not disappoint with some notable movement in the minileague table rankings as well as a host of rare and scarce highlights. Steve Minton at Scatness took his comparative score to a crazy 140% with new birds added to his rarity roll-call including Pied Wheatear, Richard's Pipit, Olive-Backed Pipit, Bean Goose and Hawfinch. He now has his first place position in the league sealed it seems but there is plenty to play for in the podium spots which have seen a major change this month. Sean Morris at Kilmory added Jack Snipe, Ring Ouzel and Waxwing for handy two pointers, putting himself in third  on 111% while Steve Stansfield rockets into second place (from fourteenth!) on 119% after an epic month on Bardsey (see below for details).  Six patchers have beaten their comparative target now, with a number just shy of the mark who will be looking for a few late winter additions. ...

The Coastal Ireland Minileague got in on some rare passerine action during the month of October. Checking the coastal scrub at Irishtown Nature Park proved fruitful for Noel Keogh who added two Yellow-browed Warblers and a Ring Ouzel to his South Dublin Bay list, great finds on the edge of the capital. This puts him on 118.9%, comfortably in the lead with Richard Donaghey still in second on 103.5% and Eleanor Keane still in third now on 100.8%. Richard chanced upon a pair of roosting Long-eared Owls at the Bann Estuary while Eleanor added Red-throated Diver, Black-tailed Godwit and Bar-tailed Godwit to her list at Killiney Hill to Dun Laoghaire coast. Tim Murphy makes a bold move from twelfth to sixth place at St John's Point where an absolutely cracking find in the form of Red-flanked Bluetail (along with Glossy Ibis and Sabine's Gull) propelled him from 78.6% at the end of September up to 94.8%. The bluetail represents the first record for Northern Ireland and ...

The purple patch for Michael John O'Mahony at Upper Rathudff continues with Teal and Lapwing added in October which ensures his lead at the top of the Inland Ireland Comparative Minileague for another month, now over 115%. Alan Lauder mopped up Yellowhammer and Fieldfare for the year at Carrick Mountain but it was the sound of some Greenland White-fronted Geese migrating at night over his house which helped take him past the comp score target and finish on 104% by the months end. With a few more likely species still to get, Alan stands a chance at making a move on third or second place depending on how other contestants get on on the final months of the year. Sparrowhawk at Upper Rathduff (c) Michael John O'Mahony ( flickr page ) We see no change in the Points Minileague rankings with the only other mentions of new species added as per the score submission form updates including Skylark at Carrigmore for Christian Osthoff and Teal at Grand Canal Way for Ian ...

Mike Cram made the most of the fine weather during October with three weekend visits to Broughton and Llangennith which produced no less than sixteen (16!) year ticks during a fantastic purple patch which saw him add some goodies such as Hobby, two Black Redstarts and Water Rail. The result of this is a very impressive 142.7% which puts Mike firmly in the lead on the Wales Comparative Minileague table. With a margin of over 20% between first and second place, it seems Mike may have it all sewn up here unless the Conwy boys can manage something spectacular between now and the 31st Dec! A Hoopoe at RSPB Conwy was the first for the reserve and a fine treat for patch duo Julian Hughes and Henry Cook, as well as the local Peregrine! Julian's second place position at 118% is safe for another month while Henry remains in third on 115%. Trevor Fletcher connects with a patch tick Yellow-browed Warbler (all the rage these days!) at Rudry Common and also a #patchgold Rook takin...

Amy Robjohns consolidates her position at the top of the Under 25 comparative minileague on 138%. This month she adds Yellow-browed Warbler and Brambling. Ash Baines cut Amy's lead to 18% as he found three Yellow-browed Warblers and a flock of nine Great White Egrets as well as adding Barnacle and Brent Geese. Ben Moyes moves over the 100% mark and into third place thanks to a Great White Egret and Black-bellied Dipper combo. Espen Quinto-Ashman also joins the 100 club after adding Bearded Tit and Great White Egret.   Black-bellied Dipper - Ben Moyes Perhaps the best ever autumn at Spurn draws to a close as I write and Tim Jones was central to it, seeing plenty and whilst the Siberian Accentor and Eastern Black Redstart were off-patch he did manage to find an Olive-backed Pipit as well as seeing Pine Bunting, Red-flanked Bluetail, Stejneger's Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Rustic Bunting, Radde's Warbler, Pallas's Warbler and plenty more besides. This haul s...

Tree Sparrow - Chris Bessant Stephanie Brown remains top of the Inland South comparative minileague despite no further additions in October. Her score of 120% for her Twyford patch is still 3% clear of Tim Farr. Tim had an excellent October at Sutton Bingham Reservoir with highlights including Siberian Chiffchaff, Red-legged Partridge (3rd patch record), White-fronted Goose (2nd patch record) plus Barnacle Goose and Goosander. Richard Scantlebury also makes progress as he holds third on 111% with Water Rail his highlight. There were no new centurions this month but a number of contestants are very close with seven over 97%. Tom Raven fails to add in October as he remains on 167 points. Nigel Milbourne closes the gap on his local rival as a White-tailed Eagle in the Poldens graces his Blagdon Lake patch to move up to second. Brendan Shiels again makes no further additions and risks falling fro the podium as Ian Bennell gains ground. Ian Bennell had an Aythya month to rememb...

No bonus points for Amy but she adds 6 points and 3% to move to 138% by the end of October at Titchfield Haven. She adds Yellow-browed Warbler, Brambling and Goosander this month. Paul Freestone moves up from fifth to second at Gwithian this month after finding Isabelline Wheatear to go with Wryneck and Rose-coloured Starling taking his score to 121%. In third place is Dick Best who falls one place despite adding 2%. Paul Bowerman and Mark Lawlor both move over the 100% mark with Paul adding Crane and Mark finding a Yellow-browed Warbler.  Isabelline Wheatear at Gwithian - Paul Freestone Joe Stockwell extends his lead to 6 points at Ferrybridge to Weymouth and this month after finding 7 Yellow-browed Warblers. Amy remains in second place on 255 points and is 18 clear of Paul Bowerman in third. Paul ensured that all three members of the top three added Yellow-brow this month as well as Ring Ouzel and Black Redstart for his personal list. Find of the month obviously is P...

Craig Round's vismig Great Grey Shrike at Lutley Wedge Tom Shields moves up from third to first place in the comparative Midlands minileague table. He moves on to 118% thanks to additions in the form of Slavonian Grebe and Woodcock. Nick Crouch holds second place on 117% at Collingham and Besthorpe having also added Slavonian Grebe as well as Brambling, Rock Pipit and Water Rail. Laurie Ison moves up from sixth to third this month in an incredibly tight leave. He sits on 116% having added Bittern and Water Pipit. Steven Lewis and Espen Quinto-Ashman are the newest 100%ers and both stormed past this mark. Erik Ansell leads on 211 points at Rutland Water having gained three points in October for Little Gull and Rock Pipit. Steve Nuttall at Belvide Reservoir stays in touch on 209 points after an eclectic haul of Purple Sandpiper, Mandarin, Hawfinch, Firecrest and Rock Pipit. Rod Baker adds five points but slips into third place. There were two sets of bonus points for Yel...

Bearded Tit - Duncan Bye (Wheldrake Ings) Still no change at the top of the Inland North comparative table as David Franklin sits pretty but another month of no additions for him at both Campsall and Askern leaves him vulnerable with the vultures starting to gather with John Law in third just 1% behind and Duncan Bye just a further 3% back. John this month added Rock Pipit to keep up the pressure with his Wath Ings patch.  John Law continues at the top but he is now sharing it with Mark Reeder who adds four points this month for Pintail, Knot and Twite. Duncan Bye at Wheldrake is just a further two points behind in third place level with Andy Bunting's Martin Mere WWT patch. Duncan added his first Wheldrake Jack Snipe and Bearded Tits as part of a notable eruption this autumn. It should also be noted that Brockholes hovers just 3 points behind the podium places. What can Bill do to close the gap? The only bonus points this month were for a Yellow-browed Warbler in Step...